


Something Familiar

by Freedom_Shamrock



Series: Marichat May 2017 [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Marichat, Marichat May, Shapeshifting, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-10-26 19:25:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 22,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10793181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock
Summary: Marinette is a teenage witch, and it's time for her to find a familiar.Witch AU, no kwamis, Adrien never got to go to school





	1. Chapter 1

"Here kitty, kitty," Marinette called, keeping her voice light and playful as she crept down the alley.  She was positive this was the way the little critter had gone.  She paused and closed her eyes drawing on a hint of her magic to really take in her surroundings.  The smile slowly broke over her face, when she found it… no, him.  

She crouched down and slipped a small thermos of milk out of her bag.  While most cats were lactose intolerant, a little bit was fine as a treat.  "Come on kitty.  I just want to meet you."

She prepared herself to wait, but he was hungry, or curious, and brave enough to approach.  She opened her eyes when she sensed his paws less than a foot away.  He was sleek and perfectly black.  His hair was somewhere between medium and long, and it lay smooth and clean over his whole body.  His eyes, oh goodness, his eyes were such a beautiful green.

"Oh," she gasped.  "You're gorgeous, aren't you."  

He paused and rolled his shoulder to gaze at her over it, before slowly taking a few more steps.

Giggling at his posing, she pushed the thermos cap cup of milk toward him, then pulled her hands back, keen to get to know him.  "I suppose you know what a handsome lad you are, huh?"  He was well out of his kitten days, but he had the leggy build of an adolescent.  "Do all the girls admire you?"

"Mrrrrow," he agreed, pausing to smell the milk.  Then he reached forward just a bit to sniff at her.

"Such a brave fellow," she praised, slowly extending her hand.  His nose was cool against her skin and his long black whiskers tickled her palm.  He butted his forehead against her fingers, so she ran them over his head.  "Oh, goodness, you're so soft."  There was no way he could be a stray.  He was too well cared for.  Which was a pity.  He seemed so perfect, friendly, outgoing, and still young enough to adapt.  Scratching at his neck, she was surprised to find no collar.  The witch population of Paris was not tiny, and it was public knowledge that cats without an obvious claim, were considered fair game.  But it didn't seem fair.  Surely someone would miss him.

"Don't you know how dangerous it is to prowl the streets with no tag or necklace, Chat Noir?" she asked.  She couldn't name him.  Not if she had to give him up.  And she didn't feel right claiming him without making sure.

He rubbed his head against her forearm, lifting his front paws to her knee in an effort to reach her face.

She ran a hand over his back and drew on her power again as she looked him over.  Something was just a bit odd.  He felt like a cat, and for the most part, he acted like one, too.  "Huh."  She put a second hand on him.  "You have the strangest aura.  It's almost as if you're not quite a cat, but at the same time, you really are."

His tiny kitty motor had started humming, encouraging her to keep petting him.

She let out a sigh, utterly stumped.  Any claim of ownership that had been on him, had been shredded, something that he would have had to do himself, so clearly he'd left home on his own volition.  And he was more interested in attention than food.  If she left him out here, someone less scrupulous would snatch him, she was sure of it.

"I don't think I can claim you, Chat Noir, but I'd really like to."  She skritched under his chin, and his eyes closed in pleasure.  "I don't think I can leave you here, either.  It's just not safe for a sweetie like you."

He crawled fully into her lap.

"Ooooh," she sighed, a little breathless.  "I'll bring you home with me, then.  And… I guess if you decide you like me, you can be my familiar, and I can be your witch.  Does that sound okay."

His only response was to burrow close to her belly and purr.

She dipped her finger in the milk and offered it to him.  His little scratchy tongue made quick work of cleaning her off, his sharp teeth grazing her skin, but not biting.

She recapped the thermos, tucking it back into her bag, then stood, cradling Chat Noir in her arms.  "Do you want to stay in my jacket?" she asked.

He pressed his whole body against her in response, which she was pretty sure was right up there with his aura for a bit odd.  Usually it took a while, and a ritual of contract before familiars and witches understood each other.

"Okay, then."  She tightened the belt to keep Chat Noir from sliding past it, and buttoned the next two buttons.  He moved around a little, careful not to scratch, then settled in where he could lean against her while peeking out of the front of her coat.  "I promise, I'm going to take good care of you."

He let out a small "Mow," in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 minute speedwrite for Marichat May, Day 1, milk


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette brings Chat Noir home to meet her parents.

It was steadily moving into dusk as Marinette approached her family's bakery.  With the shadows lengthening, she was glad of the added warmth of Chat Noir's body tucked into her coat.  "We're almost home," she told him.  "Just at the end of this block."  His little black head peeked out of her coat again, and his purr picked up.  "And if you like it, it can be your home, too.  Yeah?"  She curled her finger under his chin, and he rubbed against it.  "Yeah," she whispered.

The bell jingled overhead as she pulled open the door, and the purr dropped  The black cat looked up, curious, but not spooked.  "Good boy," she murmured.

Her mother was behind the counter, boxing things up to drop off at the women's shelter once they closed.  "Oh, Marinette.  I was wondering when you'd…"  She broke off and stared at the front of her daughter's coat.  "Tom," she called, her voice going thick.  "Come see what your daughter dragged in."  She set aside the pastries and rounded the counter to approach, slowly, her hands alternating between out and open, and clutching at her cheeks.  "Oh, sweetie, his eyes… he's lovely."  She politely watched but didn't reach forward, though it was obvious she wanted to.  It was incredibly rude to touch another witch's familiar without express permission.  "Is he all black?"

Marinette nodded, taking note of the tears in her mother's eyes.  Maman had lost her familiar in a terrorist attack when Marinette was just a baby.  She'd been too heartbroken to even consider a replacement.  In time, her father's familiar bound herself to both her parents; it was a little unusual, but not completely unheard of.

"Oh ho!" her father said happily, coming out of the kitchen.  "Success this time?"  He wrapped an arm around his wife.  "He seems so calm, Marinette.  Did you use a catnip lure?"

Marinette vehemently shook her head.  "I didn't bring any.  I didn't want to resort to that."

Her father chuckled, very aware of how seriously his daughter was taking this.  Unlike many of her friends, she'd held off on searching for a familiar until she felt ready, even though it put her at an arcane disadvantage.  She'd been searching every day after school for nearly two weeks, scouring the streets for strays rather than hitting up the shelters or pet stores.  "What's his name."

Marinette bit her lip.  "Umm.  I'm calling him Chat Noir for right now, because I'm not sure if he wants to keep me.  It feels wrong to name him until I know."  She stroked his head lightly.  "He ran away from his last home."  He rolled in the nest of her jacket so he could look up at her, batting gently at her chin, his claws safely tucked in.

"Oooh," her mother half-squealed.  "He definitely likes you."

"His aura seems odd to me," Marinette pointed out.  "Like he's cat but not cat at the same time."

Her mother scrutinized Chat Noir for a moment.  "I see what you mean."

"It made me worry that he's not really meant to be a familiar," Marinette added.  "I'd hate to lock him into something that would hurt him."

"I wouldn't worry about it," her mother said, reaching over to pat Marinette's shoulder, but drawing back before she could accidentally touch Chat Noir.  "Black cats carry a fair bit of their own magic, you know.  It'll amplify yours, but there will be a few quirks along the way."

Marinette carefully scooped her maybe-familiar out of her jacket, cradling him in both arms.  "I guess I remember hearing that somewhere."

Her father grinned.  "Because they have their own magic, they generally get to pick their witch, rather than the other way 'round."

"Really?"

Her father nodded.  "They can resist our summons, if they aren't bound to us, unlike most other cats.  And they're immune to a lot of our simpler tricks to catch a cat."  He shrugged.  "They can still be caught by force, of course, but I think that little guy knows full well what he's in for and picked you."

Marinette pressed her face gently against Chat Noir's side.  "Aren't you a clever kitty," she whispered.

A much louder purr rumbled out of him.

"See," her father said with a smile.  "He agrees."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May, Day 2, Purring  
> Written as a 30 minute speed writing exercise
> 
> I'm expecting to hit a few more of the Marichat May prompts specifically within this story, so those will be added as chapters. If I do any of the prompts outside the story, they will be linked in series.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir has some very articulate things to say about Marinette's homework.

Chat Noir seemed to be settling in nicely, even though it was only his first evening in the house.  Nothing made him tense or try to get away as she walked him up from the bakery and carried him through the apartment.  Until he could be screened for anything contagious, he had to stay isolated in her room, but it was big enough, and interesting enough to keep him entertained.  She'd spent considerable time setting things up for her eventual familiar, so he or she would feel welcome and at home.  While familiars were much more than just cats, the contract ceremony didn't take away their cat nature and tendencies.

"And look," she said, carting her purring bundle of black fur toward her desk.  You have your own special tree right here."  She patted each level pointing out the perches and nice things to rub against.  "And here you have a kitty hammock."  A net of navy fabric hung over the far edge of the desk.  "It's a good place to nap while I do my homework."  She leaned forward and encouraged him to climb onto the observation platform.  She let out a little sigh of relief that he was willing to explore.

"I really want to spend some more time with you, but I have to got my schoolwork done first."  She rummaged in her back and pulled out her books.  "Chem is easy, so I'll start with that…"  She worked her way through the day's assignments, eventually moving from the classes she naturally excelled at to the ones that required more work.  Every so often, she'd look up and smile at Chat Noir, whose green eyes watched her keenly.

"You've been so good and patient," she praised him, reaching out to run a hand over his side.  "Just one last class, and it's not my best subject, so I hope you can bear with me."  She'd started Mandarin last year.  Part of her regretted not taking Italian like Nino or German like Alya had.  At least they shared the same alphabet.  When it was time to pick classes, Mandarin was a new option, and she felt compelled, even though her mother had never pushed her to connect with her heritage.  It was hard work, but really, it was worth it.

Pulling out a hanzi grid, she slowly and carefully drew her characters for the day, focusing on putting down each line and dot in order.  Her handwriting was decent, but her pronunciation was hideous.  She was best at differentiating the tones if people spoke slowly, but most of the time it was a jumbled mess.

"Wǒ… shì...fǎ guó... rén," she said slowly, her finger under the character on the page.  While she was repeating this week's phrases for memorization, Chat leaned over gracefully spilling out of his hammock onto her desk.  He padded over and looked down at the page.

"Nǐ hǎo, Chat Noir," she said happily.  "Do you speak Mandarin?"

In response, he reached out and pressed his paw on the page, dragging it away from her.  She would have assumed he was bored and playing with it, but he'd turned it so he was looking at it right way up instead of sideways.  His head tilted to the side.  He let out a long rolling, "Miaowww."

"I know," she agreed.  "It's not very impressive.  But it's only my second year, and I'm not the worst in the class."

"Rrrrrrr."  It wasn't a purr or a full call, but more of a hum in the back of his throat.  He reached out again and pulled her hanzi toward him.  He tapped just off to the side of one row.

"You like that one?" she asked, grinning at him.  "You should.  It means cat."  

He tapped it again, more firmly, and looked at her.

"Māo?" she asked.

His tail swished gently.  He tapped next to another character, the masculine form of 'you.'

"Nǐ," she said, more puzzled.

He returned to the phrase sheet and put both paws down on one sentence, only letting one character show between them.

"Shì."  To be.  "You are," she translated.  "You are what?"  There was no way this was an accident.  The stray cat she was hoping to become her familiar could read simplified Mandarin characters as easily as he seemed to understand French.

"Meh," he called her to attention, the next character between his front paws.

"Wǒ," she said obediently.  "Nǐ shì wǒ… you are me?"

He let out a delicate sniff as she scanned the pages, finally settling on the possessive article.  Once she'd said it, he wasted no time returning to the first character.

"Māo," she said, noticing that he'd sat down, clearly done.  "Nǐ shì wǒ de māo.  You are my cat!"  She spoke as she translated, but the meaning hit her a moment later and she gasped, gawking at him.  He hadn't made it a question, but a statement.  It seemed so strange for him to be so clearly confirming that he was hers, but that's what he'd done.

"You're my cat?" she asked quietly, her eyes starting to sting.  "Really?"

He took a few steps closer so he could sit up and put his paws on her shoulder.  He rubbed his jaw along hers, to be clear.

* * *

 

The next morning, she woke to Chat Noir curled next to her on the bed.  She beamed at him.  "You weren't just a dream."

He purred in agreement.  When she started gathering up her school things, she found a pile of homemade Mandarin flashcards.  A perfect character was on one side with the pinyin pronunciation and definition on the other.  The tidy handwriting was completely unfamiliar.

"Yes.  Of course," she said quietly, both surprised, yet somehow not.  "If you can speak Mandarin, why wouldn't you be able make beautiful flashcards overnight?"

He didn't respond.  Her sweet kitty was sound asleep on her pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May, Day 3, Homework  
> I'm anticipating at least nine of the prompts will work into the story arc my brain came up with this morning.
> 
> Written as a 30 minute speed writing exercise


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette introduces Chat Noir to her best friends when she has them over for game night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May, Day 6, Game Night

"So Chat Noir says he's my cat," Marinette said, as she sat down for a quick breakfast.  Her mother was running the counter and her father was between bread batches, with all the ovens full.  It also meant she was running a little behind schedule and needed to pick up the pace or she'd miss her train. **  
**

"We saw him tell you that yesterday," her father pointed out as he reached for a croissant.  "That pawing and purring was cat for, you are my favorite person ever."

"Yeah, well while I was doing homework he told also me in Mandarin."  She pulled the flash cards out of her pocket and set them on the table.

"Your familiar speaks Mandarin?"  He glanced at her in surprise.

She rocked her head from side to side.  "Well he didn't **speak** it, he still has kitty vocal chords, but he pointed out the characters, in order, and scent marked me after I translated it.

Her father beamed at her.  "And you were afraid you wouldn't find a cat, that this one wouldn't want to stay."

"But isn't it a bit… unusual?" she asked.  "Could Callie read before your ceremony?"

He shook his head.  "No, but Callie was a regular cat.  And while calicos are sought after, they don't have some of the innate abilities their black kin have."  He slathered his bread with lingonberry jam.

"Can callie write in French?" Marinette asked.  She'd seen her parents' familiar read over their shoulders.  Sometimes she pointed out notations in spells, or recipes.

"No," her father laughed. "Cat paws aren't designed for that."

Marinette handed her father the top flashcard.  "Chat Noir made these for me last night."

The amusement faded, leaving awe in its place.  "Wow.  That's… that's a bit unusual."  He ran his index finger across the French translation, then handed it back.  "Have you made it official, yet?"

Nervously gnawing on her lip, Marinette shook her head.  "I just want to be sure it's what's best for him."

"He told you, very clearly, that he's yours, right?" her father asked, his voice gentle.

She nodded.

"He's a smart cat, Cupcake.  Given what you've learned and seen about him already, I can't see this as a mistake.  He knows what he's getting into, and he's letting you know he's okay with it."  He gently tugged one of her pigtails.  "With him as your familiar, you're going to be capable of so much.  Don't let go of that opportunity, just because he's different."

 

* * *

  

Marinette led her two best friends up the stairs to her room.  With her hand on the door, she glanced back at Nino.  "You sure Trixx will be okay with him?"

The boy grinned and reached up to pat the small red fox perched on his shoulder.  "She's great with other familiars and regular cats, so I don't think it'll be a problem.  And if it is, she can go downstairs while we hang out."

She nodded and pushed the door open.  "Nǐ hǎo ma, Chat Noir," she called.  He'd woken up for some pettings when she was home for lunch.  He'd seemed interested when she told him Friday night was usually game night.

"You talk to him in Chinese?" Alya asked.  "Neen, do you talk to Trixx in Italian?"

Nino laughed and shook his head.  "No.  It hadn't even occurred to me to try."  He followed the girls into the room.  "How did you find a multilingual familiar, Nette?"

"Luck?" she suggested peeking into the hidey holes of the cat tree.  "Where are you kitty?"

A soft, "mow," came from her bed, but he wasn't peeking over the side yet.

"He really likes my bed."  She wandered over to the ladder.

"With as much as your dad says he likes you, that's not a surprise," Nino said.  "It probably smells like you, so it keeps him company when you're gone."

"Hey there sweetie," Marinette said, smiling at the black cat sprawled on her pillow.  "We have company, and they'd like to meet you."  She thought for a moment, working through the translation.  "Tā men shì wǒ de péng you."  They are my friends.

Nino laughed.  "Trixx came from Russia.  Maybe I should try Duolingo for Russian and see if she still understands it."  It was a Moroccan custom to pair witch children with their familiars young, so he'd been the first in the class to show up at school with a clingy new familiar.

"Oh my god, Mari," Alya squealed as Chat crawled into her arms.  "He's adorable."  She started to reach out, but caught herself before she could be corrected.  "Sorry.  Still getting used to that."  Alya's family weren't witches; Marinette and Nino were her first magic friends.

Chat Noir stretched his neck to sniff at the other girl, then the boy.  His head tilted slightly as he took in the curious fox.  He wriggled a bit, and when Marinette loosened her hold, he climbed up on her shoulder as if in imitation of Trixx.

"Nette," Nino said, puzzled as he stared at the cat.  "I thought you said you hadn't gone through the familiar ceremony yet."

"We haven't."  She put one hand behind Chat Noir to keep him steady as she climbed down the ladder.

He snorted.  "You look claimed by each other.  It's a little lighter than most familiar bonds," he clarified, "but that's pretty common at first."  He narrowed his eyes a moment and shook his head.  "Any prior claim he had is completely gone."

"What does that mean?" Alya asked.  

"Short story, that cat is definitely **hers** ," he explained.  "Long story, he probably had some magic of his own before they met.  It's pretty common in black cats.  And he's not waiting for her to choose him.  He's made up his mind and he's made himself her familiar."  He squinted again.  "It's a little one-sided, yet, probably because Nette hasn't gone through the formalities."

 

* * *

  

The friends sat side by side on the chaise, which had been dragged over to Marinette's desk.  They'd already gone through Mario Kart, with Alya surprising them all by being the overall victor for a change.

"She's distracted," Alya insisted, pointing at Chat Noir.  "But I'll take it."

When they switched over to Ultimate Mecha Strike, the black cat let out a couple of excited chirps and wriggled on Marinette's shoulder.  "You like Mecha Strike, Kitty?" she asked.

He leaned into her head and hummed.

"Come here," she said, patting her lap.  "You can help me."

"You don't need help," Nino said with a laugh.  "We don't play to try to beat you anymore.  We just try to get as high a score as possible against you at this point."

"No, no," Alya said eagerly.  "Let the cat help."  She grinned.  "He might finally even things out a bit."

Nino nodded.  "I mean, yeah.  Please help Nette out, Chat Noir.  As much as you want.  She needs it."

"Hey!" Marinette objected with a giggle.  "We're still new at being a team, no judging."

"We aren't judging, girl," Alya insisted, her hands out in a warding off gesture.  "We're supporting your new relationship.  That's what friends do."

"Yeah," Nino agreed.  "What Alya said."

Marinette settled her hand on the right side of the controller, her fingers hovering over the buttons.  Wrapping her arm around Chat Noir, she used her left hand to pin the controller to her knee.  She pointed to the big gray buttons.  "You're in charge of those, okay."

The black cat butted his head against the bottom of her chin and reached out to place his left paw over his buttons.

"Do we get a warm up round?" Marinette asked.  She looked up to find her friends staring at her.  "What?"

"Your cat plays video games?" Alya asked, stunned.

"Ummm…"  Marinette took in Chat Noir's gaze, intent on the monitor, his lithe body tense and ready to leap into action.  "No idea."

"I'm no longer sure this was a good idea," Nino muttered.

"How good can they really be at it?" Alya asked.  "They've never teamed up before, and it's not like normal teams where they each have their own controller."  She giggled.  "I kind of want to see what would happen if we gave Chat Noir his own controller."

Nino shook his head.  "Something tells me you're about to get schooled in the power of familiars, Alya."  He patted her shoulder.  "It's okay though.  I get to play the loser."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first section has nothing to do with the prompt, but the bridge was needed.
> 
> Sorry this is late. Between shepherding second and third grade Chinese dancers around a cultural festival and free comic book day, I had no time to fit this in. Am still planning "Happy Pawing" as an additional chapter for this evening.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Chat spend a little time together as she tries to come to a decision about officially making him her familiar.

Marinette came up from breakfast Saturday morning to find Chat Noir lounging on the rug in a patch of sun. Smiling at his obvious happiness, she slid his fresh water and filled food dishes into their spot, a nice corner where they wouldn't get knocked over.

"I got you some nice salmon this morning," she said, thinking it might appeal to him. He lifted his head and gazed at her for a moment, before flopping onto his back and wriggling.

"Do you need company?" she asked, thinking it looked like a nice place to give him some attention. 

He let out a plaintive and drawn out, "Miaow."

Giggling, she crawled over. From what she knew and had seen, he was an extremely affectionate cat. He'd continued to choose attention over food, and she suspected he'd been neglected in his last home. She ran her hand over his ribcage between his front legs, scratching all the spots she'd catalogued as preferred or favorites. He wasn't going to want for attention with her, that was certain.

Once he started purring, she lay down on her side next to him, her hand still moving through his soft fur. His head was turned toward her, his striking eyes open.

"Are you happy here?" she asked softly, almost as if she were afraid of the answer. Everyone had told her he wanted to be here. Nino had seen a familiar bond between them, even without the ceremony. He'd told her himself that he was hers. Yet it all seemed to good to be true. "I know it's only been a few days, but…"

A paw reached out and pressed against her mouth, soft with nails retracted. If she tried to speak, she'd get a mouthful of fur. He tapped her lips twice as if to tell her to hush, before he pulled back the paw. He writhed closer to her, pressing his forehead to hers and closing his eyes. The light puffs of his breath brushed across her face, strangely soothing.

"I want to keep you, Chat Noir, I really do," it was hard to admit to him what was wrong. "You just seem too good for me. I'm nothing special."

The rumble in his throat was a growl this time, not a purr. She somehow felt he was more irritated with her self doubt, than her caution. But she shouldn't have been able to read him yet. None of that was supposed to come until after he formally became her familiar.

"You disagree?" she asked, half smiling at him.

His warm paw booped her nose, making her laugh.

"I know you think of yourself as mine," she reached over to scritch behind his ear. "I want to be yours, too."

His purr came back.

"A good witch is there for her familiar, for anything they need, to help them just as much as they help her," she explained. The relationships was intensely personal, despite the fact that part of it was always obviously on display. "I want to do that for you, Chat Noir. I want to help you, too."

He booped her nose with his paw again. He followed up by reaching out, slowly and hesitantly, before plopping his paw down on her cheek. He dragged it back toward him, and for a brief moment she was certain he was petting her back.

"Oh, you sweet, sweet kitty. I don't know who hurt you…" She smiled when he cut her off again with a paw to the mouth. She gently caught his leg and kissed the hair in the center of his paw. "And I know you don't want to talk about it." She ran a finger over his cheek, brushing back his whiskers for a moment. "I won't make you. But once we do this, I need you to understand that I'm here for you, too, okay."

Still purring, he nuzzled her face, that one paw back on her cheek again.

"Okay," she agreed. "I'll set up the circle before lunch. But there's one last thing I'll need to do, after our snuggle, so I'm ready. I hope you don't mind sewing machines."

He pulled back a little and tilted his head.

"I need to make you a gift." She scooped him onto her chest and rolled to her back. "You'll see."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May, Day 7, Happy Pawing
> 
> The only reason this got done at the end of a long weekend involving a lot more adulting than usual (today it was science experiments with the Girl Scouts), was that my hubby offered to put the kids to bed (we usually tag-team). Supportive spouses are awesome.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette makes it official, putting a literal and arcane collar on Chat Noir.

Marinette bent to set the last candle around her rug, marking the north point.  "Okay, Chat Noir.  Can you join me in the center?"

He'd been watching from his hammock since their snuggle.  He was neither put off by the sewing machine, nor curious enough to get closer.  His gaze had become more intent once she started preparing her casting space.  He hopped down and sat in the center of the round rug, in front of her little altar, watching her.  She wondered if he'd known he needed to be on that side, or if it had been luck.  Either way, it was an auspicious start.

"Good kitty," she said with a happy smile.  "Remember, I don't want you too close to the candles."  She'd already talked to him about the dangers of fire, and he'd seemed to not be concerned.  Perhaps he'd been around candles in his old home.  She lit the white miniature taper in her hands and bent down to the first candle, whispering under her breath.  "I call the guardians of the east, masters of air and thought, to bear witness to this sacred contract."  Walking inside the border of the circle, she bent to light the next candle.  "I call the guardians of the south, masters of fire and perception, to bear witness to this sacred contract."  She could feel the magic building in and around her, like a powerful static charge.  As she straightened up from the third candle, she noticed that Chat Noir had turned toward her, sitting calmly as he watched.  "I call the guardians of the west, masters of water and love, to bear witness to this sacred contract."  She stepped slowly toward the final candle.  "I call the guardians of the north, masters of earth and empathy, to bear witness to this sacred contract."

With the least candle lit, she knelt at the west side of her altar, a wooden step stool that she had modified and consecrated back when she was first learning magic.  Unlike other witches, she often cast her long form spells sitting on the floor, like her mother did.  She held her little taper up, smiling at the cat across from her.  "We stand outside of time and place, on the threshold of never and always to formalize and celebrate the bond between witch and familiar."  She tucked her candle into the small holder on the end.  The red altar cloth was clear aside from a handkerchief sized square of cream colored muslin covering her gift.  Because he hadn't been watching, she wanted it to be a surprise.  

Her palms felt heavy and hot from the magic gathering there, awaiting her bidding.  Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out some dry catnip.  With her other hand she lifted the square of muslin covering the green and black collar she'd spent most of the morning on.  Crushing the herbs between her thumb and fingertips, she sprinkled it over the collar.  "I give you this band as a symbol of our contract, and the promises I make to you today."  With both hands, she lifted the collar and held it up, presenting it.  "It has been imbued with charms and enchantments to protect you and keep you healthy.  These magics will remain long after the collar wears out and returns to the earth."  She ran her fingertips over the symbols stitched lovingly into the leather.  At the very center, she'd attached a tiny brass bell, because he deserved fancy adornments.  

"Even when you aren't wearing the physical colar, it will be visible to those with the sight.  It will inform others that you have been claimed by a witch."  His tail curved and swished lightly, as he watched, intent and apparently absorbed by her words.  She unwound a thinner, smaller band of leather from near the quick release clasp she'd insisted on for the sake of safety.  "Likewise this wristlet will inform all others that I have been claimed by my familiar.  It will ensure that all can see I belong to you."  She held it out to him, hoping he might respond in some way.

Chat Noir leaned in and rubbed his jaw along her mimic of his collar, scent marking it.

Despite the seriousness of the moment, she couldn't wipe away the smile.  She wasn't sure she could speak without her voice wobbling, and she didn't want this to be anything but perfect, so she paused to buckle it on her left wrist.  "In exchange for your companionship and arcane assistance, I pledge to care for you, to love you as my dearest companion, and to do my best to bring you a full and happy life."

He bowed his head, waiting for her to adorn him.  Her fingers trembled a little as she wrapped it around his delicate neck.  She fastened it to be comfortable, because it was more a badge than a tool of control.

Raising both hands, she banished the spell circle.  "Depart in peace, elemental guardians.  We humbly thank you for your protection."  As she dropped her hands, the candles all went out, thin wispy trails of smoke dancing and twisting over the wicks.

She sighed and smiled as Chat Noir put his front paws up on the altar to lean toward her.  "There.  Now you're really mine, and no one can take you away."

He hopped into her lap, purring and nuzzling her.  "Safe."  The word was whispered in her head, faint, but clear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May, Day 9, Bell Collar
> 
> Couldn't do this as a 30 minute exercise because writing formal magic (which I tend to avoid) seemed like a good idea and that takes more contemplation.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette takes her new familiar for their first little outing. Things go well until Chloe shows up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of trouble coming up with aged up Chat that fit anything I was working on, and this is what came to me. It works well in this story, though it does go a bit darker than I meant to. I promise it ends well. And I actually have today's chapter ready to post shortly, as well.

Chat Noir settled himself on Marinette's shoulder when she sat down for lunch.  She could literally feeling the pride and contentment radiating off him.  There was no doubt in her mind now that he'd been angling to become her familiar from their first meeting, and he was pleased with the witch he'd chosen.  She wasn't sure why he'd chosen her, but it was a blessing.

"Marinette were you still going to go shopping this afternoon?" her mother asked as she added finishing touches to the three plates on the counter before her.  She'd offered to take her daughter's usual weekend tasks so she could spend time with her new kitty.

Marinette glanced at the black cat  and he leaned against her gently. _I go where you go_ , his mind whispered to hers.

"Yeah," she was relieved he was willing to go out with their bond still so new.  "I need a few things if I'm going to finish that project.  Is there anything you need me to pick up?"

"Yes, if you…"  Her mother's words cut off as she turned and noticed Chat Noir and his new collar.  "Oh," she gasped.  "You **did** do it.  I thought I felt you summoning a ward, but you seemed determined to be sure."  Her voice was soft and reverent.  "Oh sweetie, he's perfect for you, I can see it."  A couple of tears leaked unnoticed down her cheeks.  "And you, sir," she addressed Chat Noir, "are most welcome to the family.  I can't guarantee Tom and I will understand you, but you can always tell Callie if there's anything you need, and she'll tell us."

"Thank you Maman," Marinette said, reaching up to run a hand down Chat Noir's back.  "You've made him happy."

"You can feel his emotions?"  Her mother looked surprised.  "You're a fast learner," she told the cat.

"I think I could kind of feel them before the ceremony," Marinette admitted.  "And last night Nino said he could already see a familiar bond between us."

Her mother chuckled.  "That kitty boy chose you, Mari.  He wasn't letting you get away."

* * *

 

For much of the walk and train ride to the fabric store, Chat Noir was nestled snugly in a little sling Marinette wore across her chest.  She was able to feel his contented purr, and she couldn't quite help resting one hand on his soft fur.

At the store, he returned to her shoulder, watching as her fingers poked and stroked various materials before adding the bolts to her cart.

"Good day, Miss Marinette," the shopkeeper called.  "Working on another project, are you?"

"Hello Mr. Gavel."  She turned and waved across the store.  Even when she was very young, accompanied by her mother to pick out fabric for her learning experiments, he'd always been kind.  He seemed to know, even then, that she would be a loyal long-term customer if he treated her well.  "I've actually got two in the works."

The squat little man navigated around the racks toward her.  "Is there anything I can help you... oh bless me, you've found your familiar!"  He beamed at her.

Marinette couldn't prevent the gigantic return smile.  She'd hoped he'd notice.

"Hello, sir," Mr. Gavel said, speaking directly to Chat Noir.  "You are a very handsome fellow."  He met Marinette's eyes.  "And a black cat, at that.  You lucky girl."  His own familiar was an orange tabby with impeccable taste in ribbons.  "Congratulations to you both."

"Thank you."  Marinette giggled as Chat Noir's tail slipped around her neck, the tip lazily swishing to tickle her chin.  "He's very special."

"I can see that," Mr. Gavel agreed.  "Have you found everything?  Ready for me to start cutting?"

Marinette nodded.  "I need six of the black.  I'm using it for two different projects.  And three of the red."  She held up a finger.  "Oops.  Still need some trim.  I'll just bring that up when I find it."

"Sounds good," the shopkeeper agreed.  "I'll get these going while you're at it."

* * *

 

They were blocks from home, Marinette's backpack heavy with her purchases when the yelling started.   Her head shot up, and she felt Chat Noir shift in his sling, a low growl in his throat.

Down at the next street corner, surrounded by a sickly yellow glow, and levitating several inches off the ground, was her long time school bully Chloe.  She was the spoiled only child of the Mayor, and she'd been tormenting Marinette years.  Not to be outdone by anyone, she'd gotten her familiar shortly after Nino showed up at school with Trixx.  Like most Parisan witches, she'd gone with a cat, but it was a purebred Siamese.  He spent his time in class glaring at the other familiars and students, clearly judging them.  Since then, the mocking had gotten worse, periodically crossing over into assault.  But Chloe's father held too much sway over their school principal, and somehow Marinette was the one who got the blame when she reported problems.

"Marinette Dupain Cheng!" Chloe yelled, her magically enhanced voice harsh on the ears.

Without looking, Marinette reached to stroke Chat Noir, knowing his ears were pinned back.  "What do you want, Chloe?" she tried to keep her voice as calm as possible.  Surely there was someone around strong enough to defuse the arcane temper tantrum.  Witches were not exactly rare.  But she also didn't want to make things worse in the meantime.

"I heard you've finally found yourself a cat to bind to you."  Chloe slowly floated closer, her blond hair spreading out and twisting in a breeze confined to the magical aura.

"I have found my familiar, yes," Marinette agreed.  Chat Noir crawled out of his sling, using its fabric as claw-holds to climb back to his preferred perch.

"So it's true.  You managed to trick a poor black cat into your service."  Chloe sneered.

Marinette felt Chat Noir's hair raising against her cheek as he arched his back and growled at the other girl.  "He chose me, actually," she corrected.  "And he's not fond of you.  So we'd both appreciate it if you could leave us alone."

"You should have known not to try to outshine **me** ," Chloe snarled, raising her hands.

"Crap."  Marinette pulled a paper sachet out of her pocket and cradled it in her palm, prepared to ignite it when necessary.  The shield could be summoned instantly, but it was a stop-gap, used in the heat of the moment.

Chloe's hand shot out.  The sachet burst into painless flames, and the shield absorbed the magic before dissipating.

"Chloe, get a grip!" Marinette snapped.  "It's one thing to pick on me all day at school, but this is assault, and your father's protection won't help you here, not with so many witnesses."

Chloe screamed and swung her other hand out.  Marinette braced herself for whatever mess her bully had to throw at her.  The only saving grace was that she knew Chloe was more about showy appearances than substantive spells.

_Mine_.  Chat Noir thought, launching himself off Marinette's shoulder to block the spell with his body.

" **Nooo**!" Marinette shrieked, lunging to catch the black cat before he could hit the ground.  Dropping to her knees, she cradled him to her chest, her fingers caressing his face.  His bright green eyes were cloudy now, and his muzzle shot with gray.  Instead of turning Marinette into a hag, Chloe had aged Chat Noir.  He nuzzled her fingers, his purr loud and uneven.  Usually familiars aged along with their witches, but he was frail with old age.  "No, no, no," Marinette whispered.  "Why did you **do** that?" she wailed, her vision going blurry.

_Mine_.  His thought whispered. _Keep safe_.  He was so pleased with himself, even though he knew it could kill him.   He expected to die, and if had kept her safe, he was content with it

"I will **not** allow it," Marinette said firmly, extending one hand, her fingers spread wide, toward Chloe.  Though she vaguely registered that the other girl seemed to have realized how badly she'd fucked up, she didn't care.  Regret didn't save her familiar.  She felt the tendrils of Chloe's retreating magic, like strands of yarn.  With a twist of her wrist, she wrapped the other girl's magic around her wrist, grasped it, and gave a yank.

Marinette closed her eyes and wove her own magic around the strands she'd stolen.  "We reject that which was given in thoughtless anger," she whispered, not caring that she'd catch hell for using improvised magic without a ward.  There wasn't time.  "And we take back that which was taken by loving sacrifice."  The magic flowed through her and into Chat Noir.  His purr grew more steady.  

Before letting go of Chloe's magic, Marinette knotted it.  It wasn't a long term fix, but it would prevent Chloe from using it until a professional could clip it.

Marinette gasped and opened her eyes.  Her dear sweet Chat Noir had been restored to his gangly state, his coat rich black and his eyes clear.  "Oh Kitty.  Don't scare me like that.  I almost lost you."  He pressed his face into her neck, purring for her now.

_Worth it._

When she finally looked up, she was shocked by the crowd that had gathered.  Chloe was being handcuffed, while another officer talked with some of the bystanders.

"Are you okay, Marinette?"  A hand rested gently on her shoulder and she looked up.  The young woman was a waitress at the cafe one door up.  She was also a regular at the bakery.  "Is your familiar going to be okay?"

Marinette nodded and struggled to her feet.

"Jake," the waitress called, her hand coming up under Marinette's elbow.  "I'm taking Marinette home.  I'll be back in a few minutes, and I'd be happy to talk to the police, then."

"Sounds good," a man replied.

"Come on, Marinette," the waitress said gently.  "Let's get you two home where your parents can take care of you."  She wrapped her arm around Marinette's shoulders.  "You can talk to the police later, when you're not so upset."

Marinette let herself be led away, still clutching the nuzzly purring Chat Noir to her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May, Day 14, Aged Up Chat Noir  
> 30 minute speed write


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post trauma kitty snuggles and a cat who is in some ways not very cat-like.

Marinette lay on her bed with Chat Noir, trembling and queasy. She’d thrown up once she got home, and she wasn’t convinced it wouldn’t happen again. And her eyes kept leaking, whether or not she was actively sobbing. The constant purring and occasional kneading of Chat Noir’s paws against her arm were the only things that seemed to soothe.

“I’m sorry,” her mother said, somewhere downstairs. She was in the apartment, not the bakery, because she’d wanted to keep an eye on her daughter. “She’s not at all ready to talk about it.” Her voice was firm and not remotely apologetic. “She’s had quite a shock, as I’m sure you can imagine. She only formally bonded with Chat Noir this morning, and to nearly lose him, like this, on their first outing…”

“I **do** understand, madam, and I’m sorry to have to intrude at all.” Half of the Paris police force had some form of magic. Most units were combined to ensure they could handle all kinds of calls. “I’ll leave you my card. Can you have her call when she’s able to talk? We can meet here or talk on the phone, whatever will make it easiest.”

Not wanting to hear any more, she curled into a tighter ball, wrapped around Chat Noir. He was recovering from his near death experience with a nap, though his affection didn’t let up even when he slept. She slipped her hand between his front legs to cover his chest.

At some point, later, she realized her room was dark. She heard her father, speaking so quietly, she couldn’t make out the words. The weight of another blanket settled over her shivering body, and his huge warm hand covered her forehead for a moment.

“Mow?” Chat Noir asked quietly, climbing onto her without any obvious intent to leave.

“You take care of her,” her father said, his words more clear. “She’s yours now, you know, as much as you’re hers. I’d hate for anything to happen to either of you.”

“Mrrrow,” Chat Noir agreed, then he sprawled on top of Marinette, his legs dangling down either side.

The house was dark and silent when she next stirred. The reaction to magical overload had worn off and the trembling and stopped.

“Sleep,” Chat whispered, strangely sounding like the words were spoken rather than inside her head. “You’re safe. Just sleep.” He was pressed against her back. In her disoriented state she thought he seemed much bigger than usual.

“Chat?” she asked, fumbling to get a hand out from under her blankets to pet him.

“Don’t move,” he said, his voice encouraging. “Just sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

She had the vague sensation of light fingers brushing against her temple. She hummed. “Thank you Chat.”

“I’ll keep you safe,” he murmured. “I’ll protect you, like you protect me.”

* * *

 

Marinette sighed, comfortable, groggy and a little warm as the warm sunshine poured over her bed. When she realized she was completely alone, she sat up with a gasp. “Chat?”

There was an answering, but muffled, chirp from below, and she looked down from her loft bed. Chat was dragging a small paper bag that looked like it was from the bakery. He set it down and looked up at her. “Meow,” he greeted. He snatched up the bag again and lugged it up onto her bed. He walked across the blankets and dropped the bag in her lap, looking very pleased with himself. “Mrrrrrow.”

“Who’s a sweet kitty?” she asked. Most cats brought back mice or birds as gifts for their people. While Callie was an elevated cat, due to being a familiar to two witches, she still had a tendency to surprise them with unpleasant treasures. “Did you hunt this down for me?” she asked.

He stood up on his back feet, stretching up to brush his jaw against hers.

Taking a breath to steel herself, Marinette opened the bag to see what his first gift was. She let out a happy sigh. “Oh, a lemon bun with raspberry jam…” She gave him a look. “Did you have help with this?”

He held out his paws as if to suggest that having no thumbs was problematic. _I picked. My plan._

“Ooooh.” If she was understanding correctly, he’d had help with the jam, and probably the bag, but it had otherwise been his idea. He’d picked the bun and the fruit. “How did you know I’d like this.”

He preened a bit, tilting his sweet head coyly. _Clever kitty_.

She giggled. “Not just clever,” she corrected. “Best kitty, ever.” She leaned forward and kissed him between the ears. “You’re so sweet. Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May, Day 15, Something Sweet  
> 30 minute speedwrite


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir brings Marinette much more interesting things than birds or mice to show his appreciation.

It was Monday, the first school day since she'd bonded with Chat Noir.  She'd spent the day before lying around, feeling dizzy and drained after the mess with Chloe on Saturday.  She'd had enough energy to sit on the couch and draw, and that was about it.  Some of her homework was incomplete, though she expect it to be excused given the circumstances.  The detective handling the case told her the incident had made the major news, which was good because the mayor would be unable to sweep it under the rug and try to get his daughter off free of changes.  The unfortunate bit was that someone had shared their cell phone video of the event and it had gone viral.  Someone had identified both Chloe and Marinette, so she might end up with some undesirable publicity.

Sighing, Marinette pushed aside her light blanket and climbed down from her loft, startled to find three fresh bouquets on her desk, next to the completed Chinese homework she hadn't done.  She stared for a moment, stunned.  She was broken out of her reverie when her familiar bounded into the room, once again carrying a bag from the bakery.  When he saw her, he chirped happily and went to wind himself around her ankles a bit.

"Do you know where the flowers came from?" she asked, looking down at him. 

_Park_ , he replied in her head.   _Pretty.  Happy?_

"They **are** pretty," she agreed.  One was tied with black ribbon, another with green, and the last with red.  "When did you do this?"

_Early, early, early_ , he chanted, twisting around her some more.

"How did you do it?"  That was really the more important question, and given that he was so chatty, she was hoping to get an answer.

_Clever kitty_.  He hopped up onto her desk and set down the bag, his tail switching happily.

"The clever **ist** ," she said, even if it wasn't proper grammar.  She looked in the bag and found lemon bun this time with blueberry curd.  There were worse things he could bring her than flowers and breakfast.  "Do you know who did my homework?"  She picked up the pages and noticed her physics and math assignments were completed as well.

_I know._  He padded lightly across the desk to rub against her face, one of his favorite places to scent her.

"Are you going to tell me?" she asked, stroking his back.

_Sssssecret_ , he teased.  

There were footsteps on the stairs, and Marinette looked up to see her father peeking into her room.  "Ah.  You **are** awake.  I thought for sure Chat Noir was mistaken."  His smile was gentler than normal.  "How do you feel?"

Marinette took a deep breath to assess and nodded.  "I'm all right.  Maybe a little tired, but really not bad for a Monday morning."

"Are you **sure** you're up for school?" he asked, crossing her room to take the other desk chair.  "You can stay home today if you need to."  He looked at Chat Noir and then the other things on her desk.  "Should I ask?"  He gestured to the flowers.

Chat Noir sat up proudly.

"He brought me flowers this morning.  From the park," Marinette said.

Her father looked at Chat Noir for a long moment.  "Your Mandarin speaking cat, who plays video games possibly as well as you, and who has taken to bringing you a breakfast bun in bed, gave you three separate bouquets."

Marinette bit her lip, holding in a giggle, and nodded.  "I think he may have done my homework, too.  It's done, and I didn't do it, but he says it's a secret."

Her father turned and stared at her.  "Your familiar can do physics now?"  He slapped his hands down on his thighs, before shooting Chat Noir a mock scowl.  "Over-achiever."

_Yes_.

Marinette lost the battle with her laughter.  "He agrees with you."

Her father tapped her forehead with one finger.  "Are you getting emotions or straight up conversation in there."

She shrugged a little.  "Shorter sentences most of the time," she admitted.  "I started hearing words after I gave him his collar."

Her father let out a snort.  "Most of us don't get words for months.  Some familiars never branch out past emotional cues."  He stood up.  "So, you going to stay home or…"

She could tell he was trying to leave her an out, make it easy for her to stay home if she wanted.  "I'm going to try school.  If it's too much, I'll come home."

He nodded, resigned.  "All right.  But pay attention to your body and your magic, and know you can leave anytime.  I'll go write you a note so it doesn't cause a problem if you need to get away."

"Thanks dad."

He turned to Chat Noir.  "And since Mari has notoriously poor self awareness, I expect you to keep an eye on her and make her come home if she needs to."

Chat Noir tilted his head adorably, then hopped into Marinette's lap.   _Yes.  Mine to protect._

Marinette rolled her eyes.  "Great.  Now he thinks he's in charge."

* * *

 

She was reliving Chloe's attack.  Only this time Chat Noir's heart stopped before she could save him.  She was vaguely aware of someone gathering her close, and while it should have startled her, it was comforting, instead.  She gasped when she realized she was in her darkened room, and it had all been a dream.

"Sssh," Chat Noir whispered, his breath warm on her ear.  "You're safe.  I'm here."

"Chat?"  His name came out lengthened with a whine.  "You died."  She shivered and covered her face with her hands.

"No," he corrected.  "You saved me."  Soft fingers caressed her cheek.  "You always save me."  His purr seemed so much deeper and louder in the stillness of the night, vibrating her whole body just slightly.  "It was just a nightmare.  And I'm here to keep you safe."

* * *

 

Groaning, Marinette reached over and turned off her alarm.  She had a hazy memory of a nightmare and then Chat soothing her.  She patted the bed to be sure he wasn't there before pushing herself out of bed.  She'd finished her homework herself last night, with a bit of surprise assistance from her familiar.  He'd apparently paid close attention to Ms Mendeleiev's afternoon lecture.  It had been her last class of the day, and she'd been pretty tired by then.  

On the desk, next to her homework was another bouquet, this one all pinks and whites.  While yesterday's had looked like tasteful collections from a country garden, selected because they were pretty, this one looked professionally curated.  It had been a while since she'd studied herb lore; it hadn't been one of her areas of arcane talent, so she resigned herself to looking up everything when making potions, sachets, or plant-based spells.

She carried the flowers down to the kitchen to find yet another vase.  She heard her mother's voice and realized she was talking to Chat Noir.

"You think she wants that one?" she asked.  

He replied with a happy, "Miaow."

"If you say so."  Her mother let out a happy laugh.  Then she turned.  "Oh, good morning sweetie.  What have you there?"  She glanced down at the black cat sitting on the counter, her eyebrows raised.

"Chat, where did you get this?" Marinette asked, a little worried she might not like the answer.

He fidgeted eagerly on the counter.   _Pretty magic._

"It **is** pretty," she agreed.  "Mom, he says it's magic."

Her mother held out her hands and took the flowers, her fingers brushing each variety lightly.  Her talent for herbs and plants meshed well with her non-magical talent for baking.  "Pink chrysanthemum for fidelity and optimism," she said.  "He's a loyal kitty boy."  She beamed, then continued.  "White heather for protection and good luck.  Hmm.  He must be concerned for you."

"Is the last one mallow?" Marinette asked.

Her mother nodded.  "Pink and white mallow, usually for healing."  She met her daughter's eyes.  "Did something happen yesterday?  Are you okay?"

Marinette scooped up Chat Noir, tilting her head so he could rub against her neck and chin better.  "Yesterday was fine.  A little exhausting.  But Alya and Nino assigned themselves my protectors, so I didn't have to deal with too many nosy questions."  She smiled, relaxing with a sigh as Chat Noir's purr started up.  "But I had a nightmare.  I don't remember it well, but I remember being scared, and he made me feel better."

Her mother rummaged in the cupboard for a vase.  "This was made to order," she pointed out.  "But I have no idea how he did it."

"How did you get me these flowers, you clever boy?" she asked, scratching behind his ears.

_Not stolen_ , he said.   _I have connections._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May, day 16, prompt "flowers"


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a crisis, Marinette gets to see just how much Chat Noir steps up her power, and Ladybug Girl is born. When things go wrong, who's going to save her?

Marinette put the final touches on her sketch and glanced at the time.  "Time to head home," she told Chat Noir as she tucked away her things.  He was sitting beside her in a nest made of his sling and her black and red capelette, staring up at the Eiffel Tower.  "Do you like it here?" she asked.

 _It's nice,_ he replied.   _Less busy here._

She nodded.  Her spot on the steps had a great view, but it wasn't as dramatic or highly recommended as other places.  That meant there didn't tend to be a crowd of tourists, and she could look for inspiration among the people and pigeons in the shadow of the tower.  "I usually come here a couple times a month."  She scratched his head for a moment and stood up.  "There are a few other places I go, too.  You'll see.  I hope you like them, too."

 _Of course I will._  He let out an almost indignant sniff but got up so she could drape the sling across her body.   _I like any place you are.  Especially if it makes you happy._

"You sweetheart."  She slipped on the ladybug patterned shawl she'd finished last night, pulling it to hang over the sling.  It was cheerful, and allowed her familiar privacy in his carrier, if he wanted it.  She'd also reinforced the shoulders to protect against his claws when he chose a perch.   "Where do you want to ride?"  Before he could answer, she felt the electric prickle of powerful magic in the air.  It was like static, only stronger, vibrating against her skin.

 _Trouble!_  Chat could obviously feel it too, and his coat fluffed up in annoyance.  Without warning, he leaped to her shoulder, his tail curving about her neck in a way that felt both protective and possessive.

Marinette started with the intent to go straight home.  Her parents wouldn't want her involved in **whatever** this was, besides, the Paris police force had an arcane emergency unit for this sort of thing.  She heard the screaming and crashing of something a few blocks over.  It couldn't be Chloe, who was current in a residential center for criminal magic misuse.  They would keep her powers bound until she proved herself capable of using them wisely.  The director of the center had called to compliment Marinette on her magic knot work.  She'd called it professional quality, and had been amazed that a younger witch had cast it, especially given the circumstances.  It had been the first example of how much Chat Noir boosted her magic.

Whatever crisis was happening now, it didn't involve her.  She just needed to keep safe until…

A woman with a stroller came running around the corner, heading down the street away from Marinette.  She was closely followed by a yellow and blue striped demon.  It was probably twice as tall as her father, which meant it was older and stronger.  Odds were pretty good that whoever had summoned it didn't quite get what they were expecting and lost control over it.  Demons were never the best choice, they did their best to twist their caster's word, and even the young ones were cunning.  But they were a common tool of those who thought they had no other choice.

She felt Chat Noir's growl more than she heard it.  "I know, kitty," she whispered, her voice shaky.  "But we have to help."  She moved a little closer to the Seine's levy; she was going to need the extra help of water for this.  She quickly shucked her shoes and set her feet shoulder width apart on the cold sidewalk.  She bent her knees slightly; it was going to get rough and she needed to keep her balance.  "Can you get its attention?"

 _On it._  Chat Noir flew from her shoulder, darting forward in a black streak.  There was no way he was a normal cat, and right now, that was a good thing.  The noise that came from him could be mistaken as a caterwaul, but from their connection, she knew it was a battle cry.

Forcing her attention away from her familiar, she extended one arm to the east, prepared to pivot as needed..  "Guardians of air, fire, water, and earth, come to my aid," she whispered, pulling from each of the cardinal points in turn.  Her shawl fluttered in the arcane breeze.

 _Incoming!_  Chat noir warned.

She looked up to see him being chased back in her direction.  The demon wore a set of parallel scratches across its cheek, and that assault had evidently been enough to turn it away from the woman.  Swinging her hands in wide circles, Marinette chanted.  "With air, I confine thee.  With fire, I bind thee.  With water, I douse thy flame."  The river answered her call, rising up in a water spout that sprayed everything within fifty yards.  "And with earth, I crush thee."  The demon staggered against the binding, unable to move forward or pull back.  But it was strong, and she knew she couldn't wait for someone else to return it to its realm.  "You were brought here in error.  You must go back."  Demons could return to their own realm, though they rarely chose to.

It shrieked at her, struggling against her magic.

"With air and fire, water and earth, I rescind your invitation, and banish you from this plane."  She brought her hands together.  Without the magic, there would have been a quiet clap, but with the magic, it was the sharp crack of thunder.  The demon vanished in a cyclone of fire.  A shock wave of wind shot out from the scorched sidewalk knocking Marinette backward.  She lost her footing and went into the Seine.

The autumn river water was a cold shock.  She felt her backpack and clothes pulling on her.  She was a weak swimmer, and the concrete wall was so far away.   She kicked and flailed, desperately struggling to keep her head above the water.  She went under, and it was surprisingly quiet, aside from Chat Noir's inarticulate howl of rage in her head.  She heard a splash nearby, and as her world was starting to go dark, she felt someone grab her.

The next thing she was aware of was the terrible cold feeling as lay on the sidewalk and threw up.  Her ribs hurt and she could hardly breathe.

  "...she is now… no…"  His voice reminded her of Chat's, how he talks in her head.  It's the same as the voice that had comforted her in her half awake state.  Only instead of sounding calm, he was frantic.  "It's gone.  I **told** you.  She banished it, and now she needs help.   **Please**."  The desperation in that last word was painful to hear.

There was a pale arm around her, holding her up while someone rubbed her back.  "Chat?" she whispered, as soon as the retching had stopped.

The person holding her let out a heavy breath that sounded half like a sob.  "I thought I'd lost you.  I **can't** lose you."  It was Chat Noir's voice, and it was definitely not coming via telepathic link.  "Lie still, my Marinette."  His fingers caressed her cheek in a move that was so familiar, so comforting.  "Help is coming."

The next little bit was a blur.  She remembered the siren and a strangely familiar blond boy with beautiful green eyes sitting in the ambulance, clinging to her hand.  Then she was in a room that was too bright, and someone was trying to make the boy leave, but he didn't want to.

"Chat?" she asked, and the other voices stopped.  "I need my kitty."

He was smart; he got the message.  Squeezing her hand, he ran from the room.

The next thing she was fully aware of was a gentle vibration on her chest.  It was warm and soothing.  The room was dim, and when she opened her eyes she found Chat Noir curled on top of her, his black fur as silky as always..  When she rocked her head to the side, she saw her parents, sitting together on a small couch.

"Maman?" she said, surprised by how scratchy her throat was.

Her father opened his eyes first.  "Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked, gently nudging his wife.  "You breathing okay?"

She nodded.

"Warm enough?" he asked.

She nodded again, reaching a hand out from under the covers to rest it on Chat Noir.  "Sleepy," she mumbled.  "Achey."

"That's to be expected," her mother said, getting up and pressing a hand to her forehead.  "You had a rough evening."

"Get some sleep, Cupcake," her father said.  "We're all watching over you.

* * *

 

It was mid-morning and Marinette was just waiting for her doctor to give the order for her to go home.  Her morning nurse Emily returned after breakfast, when Marinette was just feeding Chat Noir bits of ham from her omelette.

"Oh goodness, he's a sweetie," Emily said.  She was probably closing in on thirty, and her hair was up in a tidy bun.  "Your parents are having one last word with the doctor, but they gave me your clothes, and I'm here to help if you need it."

"I might need it with the shirt," she admitted.  "I know they said my ribs were only bruised, but… wow."

Emily nodded sympathetically.  "And I hate to tell you this, but you're going to be pretty sore for a couple of weeks.

Chat Noir slipped down to the floor and under the bed and Marinette smiled at his subtle attempt to respect her modesty.  He'd always stayed out of her way when she was changing or bathing, and she hadn't realized how odd that really was.  

She winced as she raised her hands to go into her shirt.  Even the position, without exertion, hurt.

"I recommend button-downs for a bit," Emily said, smoothing down the back of the shirt.

"Yeah.  Good idea."

"So has anyone told you about what happened yesterday?" Emily asked.

Marinette shook her head.  "There hasn't really been the opportunity."

"I figured."  She helped Marinette into a comfy pair of elastic waist pants.  "Do you want to know?"  She held up a hairbrush that had also been in the bag from her parents.

"Yes please."  She reached for the brush, pleased to note that Chat had come back up onto the bed now that she was dressed.  "Thank you clever boy."

He rubbed against her chest, pushing his face into her neck.   _I make you happy, now._

Marinette giggled.  "Yes, you make me happy, silly kitty."

"Awwwww."  Emily smiled at them.  "I've seen a lot of familiars on the ward, but I've never seen one like him before."

"He is pretty unique," Marinette agreed.  "I'm super lucky he wanted me as his witch."

_I'm luckier.  Luckiest._

Emily took back the brush.  "You cuddle, and I'll brush while I tell you what's been going on."  She sat down behind Marinette and started with the tangles at the ends.  "So the demon was summoned by a man who'd lost his job about a month ago.  His girlfriend took their kid and moved in with her parents.  And he'd just gotten an eviction notice."

Marinette groaned.  "He didn't make it, did he."  She felt bad not thinking about it until now.

Emily sighed.  "No.  I'm afraid not.  But the demon's other victims are all stable and expected to recover, for the most part."

"I'm glad to hear that."  She didn't want to know about their injuries, or what the qualifier really meant just now.

"That was actually a really high level demon," Emily went on.  "You must be crazy strong, because you weren't the first to try to send it back.  And if it hadn't been checked, I think a lot of people would have died."  She ran the brush down Marinette's head, and she wondered if this was what it felt like to Chat Noir when she pet him.  "You're a hero."

"Not really," Marinette said quietly.

"Mrrrrrrr," Chat Noir disagreed.   _Brave.  Strong.  Best._

"There's video," Emily said.  "You should probably watch it some time, both because you aren't going to be able to avoid it, and because I think it will look different seeing it from where we all did.  It's amazing.  You were amazing."

Marinette shrugged.  "I just did what I had to."

Emily moved to the side, continuing to detangle Marinette's hair.  "So the person who shot it was in a fourth floor apartment, filming from the back.  Given the angle, no one's been able to identify you, and those of us who know, aren't telling."  She smiled.  "But because you had that cloak on, people have started calling you Ladybug Girl."

"What happened to my clothes?" Marinette asked, suddenly realizing she had no memory of being changed and had no idea where her things were.  She really liked the capelette, and would be disappointed if it was ruined.  Though, now she might not be able to wear it for a bit for fear of being found out.

"Your parents took them home last night, once they were convinced you were all right."

They'd been back before she woke up, so she hadn't even realized they'd been gone.  She was glad they hadn't slept on the tiny couch.

"Do you know who saved you, though?"  Emily's voice took on an excited, almost gossipy tone.

Marinette bit her lip.  She wasn't used to lying, but this wasn't something she was ready to discuss.  "Uhhh, no?  I was pretty out of it."

"Well, he looked **just like** Gabriel Agreste's model son, Adrien, but he's been missing since **June**."  She left that statement there for a moment.

Marinette swallowed the lump in her throat.  "But… um… really?"  She'd heard about the model's disappearance the week after school let out.  He was sixteen, like her, and people were saying that it was very mysterious, and a lot like how his mother had disappeared a few years earlier.

"Yeah.  He fished you out of the river, did CPR on you and called for an ambulance on your phone."  She finished Marinette's hair and set aside the brush.  "Bystanders were able to get closer by the time the paramedics arrived, and they were sure it was Adrien Agreste, barefoot, with shaggy hair, and wearing jeans that were too short."

"But… is that even possible?" Marinette asked, rubbing her finger under Chat Noir's chin.

"He came to the hospital with you, and resisted leaving when the doctors wanted to treat you.  That part's in your chart."  Emily's laptop let out a quiet chime.  She turned away to open it.  "Excellent.  You, my dear, are all ready to be discharged.  Your parents already got your home care and follow up instructions."

"Home care?"  That sounded ominous.

Emily nodded.  "It's just the things we recommend you do at home, during your recovery period.  They'll help you heal up faster."  She tapped a few keys.  "Once your parents get here, you're free to go."  She held up one finger.  "But I want you to take it easy.  Go slow.  You're going to miss some school, that's okay.  Your friends can come visit you.  But right now recovery is most important."

Marinette nodded.  "Got it."

* * *

The car ride home was quiet, and to Marinette it felt tense, like everyone was waiting for something.  And she had a pretty good idea what it was, too.

"I'm sorry for worrying you," she said, leaning her forehead on her window.  "I swear, as soon as I felt the prickle of magic, I started straight home."

"We aren't angry, sweetie," her mother said quietly.  "It was scary to hear about it.  Terrifying to get the call from the hospital.  But I'm so proud of you, helping other people in this situation… I'm sure it was frightening for you, too."

_Me three._

Marinette nodded.  "Yeah.  It was."  She sighed.  "It was going after a woman with a pram, and I **had** to do something."

Her mother reached back between the seats and patted her knee.

"When we get home, I think we all need a bit of tea and something sweet," her father suggested.

"Your treats are way better than the hospital food," Marinette insisted.

When they arrived home, she told her parents to go on up ahead, she wanted to make her way on her own.  "You realize we're going to have to have a talk, right?" she asked Chat Noir while she slowly inched her way out of the car.

He looked down at his front paws, seeming sad.

"It's okay, I promise."  She gently touched one paw.  "But we should probably all be on the same page."

He scrambled up her arm to her shoulder. _You're mine.  I'm yours._

"Yes," she agreed, nuzzling his side with her head.  "And that can't be undone, so it might be a good idea for us to figure out exactly what it means, okay?  That's all.  I'm still your witch.  You're still my familiar."  His fur smelled a little like the hospital.  "Are you okay?  I'm so sorry, I should have asked earlier.  Yesterday had to be hard for you, too."

_I don't want to think about it._

"Okay."  She'd made it in through the side door and started up the steps.  "I feel really stupid for naming you Chat Noir now.  I mean, it wasn't supposed to be your name, but it sort of stuck."

_I like it._

"You wouldn't prefer I use your other name?"

_You gave it to me.  I like it._

By the time she was lowering herself to the living room chair, her mother had a tea pot brewing, and her father had brought up a selection of snacks.  Chat had moved to Marinette's lap, leaning against her.

"We're not going to eat you," her father said gently.  "But we should meet you properly, Adrien, is it?"

"He doesn't want that name," Marinette said quickly.

"Oh," her father said quietly.  "So you ran away, then?"

 _Do you hate me?_  His voice was so small in her head.

"Absolutely not," Marinette said, quite sharply.  "You're part of our family now, no matter where you came from or how you joined us."

Her father nodded.  "She's right, Chat Noir.  Be a good lad and let us see you… hmmm not as you truly are, because you're as much cat as anything, but let us see your other form."

With a sigh, Chat dropped to the floor.  There was a flash of green light, and the black cat was gone.  In his place crouched a sixteen-year-old boy with shaggy blond hair, ill fitting clothes, and spectacular green eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May #19, Identity Reveal
> 
> I realized that there was a set up element that I meant to put into game night, but forgot to add. Nino and Alya were supposed to mention the ongoing search for the missing model. So just pretend that's in there.


	11. Chapter 11

Marinette reached down to the boy crouched by her feet.  He was nervous, afraid, even.  She could feel it just like she could when he was a cat.  "I know you," she said, smiling as she rested a hand on his shoulder.  She'd always reassured him with physical touch, so she tried that first.  "You really  **did** fish me out of the river."

He nodded and sat back, leaning on her chair, with one arm around her legs.

"Aah," her father said, smiling.  "Now your aura is human, but slightly odd.  So you really are both truly cat and truly boy."

"You're a shapeshifter," her mother said, delighted.  "I don't know that I've ever met a shapeshifter."

"We don't really advertise it," the boy said quietly.  It was Chat Noir's voice, the one she heard at night and when he rescued her.  Marinette could see the magic of her collar around his neck even though the collar itself had vanished with his transformation.  "A lot of people don't trust us, which is silly, because other magic users can mask and change their appearance, too.  I can't masquerade as someone else.  I just become a cat."

"Is your family all shapeshifters?" her mother asked.

He shook his head.  "My father has a little witchcraft, but my mother was a shapeshifter."  He hesitated a moment.  "She didn't tell my father until I changed shape in front of him in my crib."  He shrugged.  "At that point it was pretty obvious, so she came clean."  He rested his chin on Marinette's knees.  "I'm not sure he ever trusted her after he found out.  And he's never trusted me.  My whole life was this isolated, structured nightmare antithetical to my nature."  He swallowed.  "Before my mother left, we used to change when my father was at work or away at conferences.  If he brought us on his trips, it was how we spent our days in our hotel room."  He shuddered.  "When she left, he got even more strict.  I was almost always supervised.  And he didn't want me shifting at all."

"That's horrible," Marinette blurted.  His whole story was making her more and more furious.  

He nodded, his eyes on her feet.  "If I don't shift once a week I start to get jittery and itchy.  But he didn't care.  He…"  He faltered on his own words.  "He found some magical restraints that were crafted to prevent shifting."

When she noticed he was unconsciously rubbing his wrists, she caught his hand, raising it to see.  She could see hints of residual magic on his skin, and she frowned.  "I'll take care of these tonight."

His head shot up and he met her eyes.  "No.  You need to rest.  It can wait."  He shook his head.  "I can wait."  He looked at her parents again.  "The only time I was allowed out was for modeling.  He told me I owed him for my care, and at least I was handsome enough to make up for some of my flaws.  But I hated all of it.  So when the opportunity came up in June, I ran away."

"I'm so sorry to hear all this," her mother said, reaching forward, then hesitating.  "I'd like to hug you, Chat Noir, but you're still a familiar and… goodness this is strange."

"Would you like a hug?" Marinette asked him.  "I'm okay with my parents touching you if you're comfortable with it."

His nod was quick and jerky, like he felt he had to answer before she could change her mind.

Her mother dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around him.  "Whatever happened before, you're our family now," she promised.  He pressed his forehead to her shoulder, breathing in erratic audible gasps.

"I'm so sorry," he whined.  "He's going to try to get me back.  I know he will.  He doesn't want this horrible family secret to get out."

"You're my familiar," Marinette said gently, resting her hand on the back of his head.  "No one can break a familiar contract, and the law is on our side here."

He turned to look up at her, his eyes wet.  "I know.  And I feel terrible because while it keeps me safe from him, it doesn't protect you and your family from all the horrible things he could do."  He gulped.  "My father is a really awful person."

"I take down demons in my free time, Chaton," Marinette said simply.  "I'm not scared of your father."

He hiccupped and giggled, sounding a little hysterical.  "You're amazing, you know that?"  His big green eyes stared at her with palpable adoration.  "I fully planned to live out the rest of my life as a stray cat.  And I knew I'd have to watch out for witches.  It wasn't a problem.  But then I saw you, out walking the streets in the late afternoon, talking to the strays and obviously looking for the right one."

"When did you first see her?" her father asked, finally entering the conversation.

Chat Noir thought for a moment.  "Eight or nine days before I convinced her to take me home."

"Really?" Marinette demanded.  "How?  I never noticed you."

His smile was sly.  "I'm a black cat.  I'm clever."

"Were you waiting to see if she was the right witch for you?" her father asked.

Chat Noir shrugged.  "At first I didn't really think much of it, other than making sure to hide.  But then I saw how you were.  No net.  No ropes.  No catnip.  You wanted the cats to come to you.  You were patient.  You waited.  You spoke to them."  He smiled.  "And I thought maybe I could do it.  I've never liked being alone, and I wanted to help you."  He reached out and gently touched her nose with one finger.  "When you brought me home, it all felt right.  It was like I belonged here, and I'd been waiting all my life to get here.  And you respected cat-me more than my father respected any version of me.  But you needed convincing."  He looked down at her feet again.  "I'm sorry.  I've made such a mess for you."

"No Chat Noir," her father said gently.  "Your father may have made a mess  **of** you, but I don't think any of us regret having you here."

"Now that this is out in the open," her mother said.  "Tom and I have a few things we'll need to do."  She got to her feet.  "Marinette, I want you to do a little shopping online with Chat to see that he has clothes that fit.  And Chat, I need you to make sure she rests.  She has dozens of movies up there, so if you could take care of her, we'd appreciate it.  It would help us with our tasks."

"What are you going to do, Maman," Marinette asked, taking Chat Noir's hand as she stood.

"We'll explain at dinner," her father answered.  "It's not your concern, either of your concern for now."

"Come on Kitty."  Marinette tugged gently at his hand.  "Let's get you some clothes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May - Day 24 - I owe you one
> 
> 30 minute speed write over lunch.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette takes her kitty shopping online, and learns a bit more about his former home life and his time as a stray.

While it was definitely strange to be leading her familiar to her room in the form of a boy, it also felt normal.  It was like some part of her brain had known what he was all along, or that she'd put together some of the pieces that made him so odd as a cat, and it all made sense now.

Her eyes caught the cat tree as she headed to her desk chair.  "I think I need to ask you about a few things, but… it's going to be awkward."

He took the chair next to her and bent to gently rub his cheek on her shoulder.  " **You** can ask me anything."  He straightened up and turned those beautiful green eyes on her.  "I can feel that you're worried about something, and I don't like you to be worried.  I know anything you ask will come from an intent to respect, even if it comes out wrong."

She nodded, trying to find the right starting point.  "Have I ever made you uncomfortable?" she asked.

He shook his head, looking a little surprised. 

"So the way I treat you in your cat form… that's been all right?"

He beamed at her and it was like the room was suddenly filled with sunshine.  "I love how you treat cat me.  Please don't change a thing."

That was a relief.  She'd been caught by the sudden thought that she'd been pedantic and rude.  "And how do you like to be treated when you're a person?"

He stared at her, eyes wide, for a moment.  She could feel his uncertainty.  "I have no idea," he said quietly.  "To my father, I was a burden and a tool.  To the other models and photographers, I was a potential path to a very powerful person who could influence their career."  His fingers drummed nervously on her desktop.  "It's been so long, I barely remember what it was like to have someone who genuinely liked me and didn't try to control who I was.  I don't know who I am, who I want to be."

Marinette felt a little pain in her chest that had  **nothing** to do with her injuries.  She took his nearer hand in both of hers.  "I want you to be yourself, whoever that is.  And I'm going to be here for you as you try to figure it out, okay?"

He nodded.  "Thank you."

"What do you want me to call you when you're in you human guise?"  Based on their earlier conversation she had a strong suspicion, but she needed to be sure.  He was too important, their relationship, complicated though it had become, was critical to her magical powers.

"I like being Chat Noir," he said with a sweet smile.  "And I'm still me, no matter which form I wear."

She nodded.  "I know.  But I think people will be confused when you're out and about in human form and I call you that."

He stared at her.  "I'll be  **allowed** to go out like that?"

"I want you to always feel free to take whichever form you want," she said firmly.  "You're still my familiar, either way."  She could still feel the arcane support and boost to her strength she'd gotten from him since their bonding.  "And I don't think this is something we're going to be able to keep secret, no matter how hard we try."

"I like it when you call me Kitty," he said shyly.  "It reminds me that I'm  **your** kitty.   But in a sweet way.  Not like you own me."

She giggled.  "Technically, we own each other," she teased.

He nodded.  "Are your parents going to be okay with me going out in public…"  She felt his realization, though she couldn't see what it was.  "That's why your mom wanted you to get me clothes?  So I can be a boy sometimes, too?"

She nodded.  Letting go of his hand to reach out and nudge his hair out of his face.  Like a cat, he leaned into her hand, rubbing his cheek against her palm.  So apparently he did some cat things when he was in his human shape.  Leaning away for a moment, she opened a drawer and took out a tape measure.  "You've grown since you got those clothes.  May I measure you so we can get the right sizes?"

He nodded and stood up, pulling his shirt over his head in a smooth movement.  Before she could stop him, he'd dropped his jeans to the floor and was pushing them away with one foot.

"Uhh.  You didn't have to strip," she said, feeling the heat in her cheeks.  

" **Really** ?" he sounded surprised.  "This is how they always take my measurements at work."

For the first time, it connected in her brain that actual teen model and heartthrob Adrien Agreste was her familiar.  He was  **her** Kitty, and he was standing in front of her in his underwear.

"Did I embarrass you?" he asked, worried.

She waved off his concern.  "You're a model and a cat.  Of course you have no modesty issues."  She smiled at him.  "Let me pull up my worksheet."  She'd developed a spreadsheet for measurements, with the ones she needed most highlighted.  Moving slowly, she wrapped the flexible fabric measure around his waist.  "And what does my Kitty like to do?" she asked.  "Do you have any hobbies or interests?"  Checking the number she moved back to her computer and entered it.

"I like videogames and anime," he said.  Holding his arms straight out to the side and out of her way as she captured his hip and chest measurements.  "I read a lot."  He paused in thought.  "I used to take piano, fencing and Mandarin lessons."

She giggled.  "Thanks again for the flash cards.  They're the best."  

He smiled down at her where she was measuring his shoulder to wrist.  "I've always found flashcards helpful."

She handed him the end of the tape.  "I need your in and outseam.  Can you hold that end?"

He held it exactly where he needed to, demonstrating his experience with the process.  "You're really smart, and I like studying with you."

She glanced at him over her shoulder as she entered the latest numbers.  "I'm glad.  But we'll have to see how that's all going to go.  You should get to learn, too."

"I  **do** ," he said happily.  "I  **like** going to school with you."

"I knew you were always paying attention."  She'd been suspicious of that, even when she thought he was just a cat.  "You like physics, I can tell."

He laughed and picked up his pants as she went and sat down.

"What do you want to look at first, shirts, pants, socks… you need everything."  She opened her browser.  

"You pick."  He settled in the chair while he inverted his shirt.  "I've never done this before."

She realized then that while his clothes were a little ratty and small, they were designer.  Like everything he'd probably ever worn.  "Have you ever gotten to pick out your own clothes?"

"For buying, no."  He shook his head.  "My father's assistant always brought me my new clothes and took away anything I'd outgrown."

Marinette scowled at her computer screen as she pulled up a clothing store Nino liked.  " **You** get to pick what we're buying, though we have a budget, so we need to be reasonable," she explained.   "And once I'm feeling better, I'd like to make you some clothes designed just for you, with colors, fabrics, and designs you pick, okay?"

"You'd want to do that for me?"  his voice was so small and surprised.

"Yes, Kitty," she assured him.  "Here in your new life, we want you to be happy.  We want you to choose things for yourself."  She'd have to talk to her parents about that detail.

After they had ordered several t-shirts and some jeans, he was nonchalantly scrolling through underwear.  It was a little disconcerting that he kept asking her opinion on color and design, until she reminded herself that she and Alya did the same thing.

"What was it like, living as a stray cat?" she asked.  She already knew about his father, but felt she should find out if there was any other trauma he might need help managing.

He shrugged, adding something to the cart and turning to look at her.  "At first, it was so nice.  I felt free for the first time in my life, and it was… that was wonderful.  Honestly, that part never got old."  He sighed.  "But I couldn't really find a cat colony where I fit, so I was mostly alone."

There was the isolation again.  They'd have to work on that.  "Where did you live?"  He really was clever, given he'd managed to live on the streets for about five months without getting hurt or caught.  Stray toms could be territorial and aggressive, but he'd either won those fights without injury, or he'd avoided them.

"I moved around a lot."  Leaning his elbows on the desk, he rested his chin on one fist.  "There was this one massage parlor where the owner was really nice.  If I came by at the right time, he'd feed me canned salmon and he talked to me a lot."  He hesitated.  "I think he might have known what I was, but it didn't bother him.  He called me Plagg and showed me a sheltered spot where his furnace vented.  It was a nice place to sleep when it was cold at night."

"Do you remember where it was?" Marinette asked.

He nodded.  "It's only a few blocks away from here."  He straightened up and reached for the mouse again.  "Why?"

She was pretty sure he was talking about Master Fu, who did a mix of Chinese medicine and massage therapy.  He was a regular at the bakery.  "I want to thank him for taking care of my Kitty."

Chat Noir turned to her, his vibrant eyes wide.  She felt a rush of affection and gratefulness from him, things that were apparently beyond words, because he quickly looked down without speaking.

"I want you to be happy," she said quietly, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder.  "You're such a wonderful person… er being?"

He smiled.  "Either works.  Or cat, too."

She nodded.  "You've made me happy.  You've been so sweet and kind.  You bring me flowers and breakfast…" she hesitated.  "How did you get me flowers, you clever kitty?"

"Oh!"  He stood up abruptly.  "Stay here."  He scurried up to her bed, pushed open the skylight and went out on the terrace.   

She marveled at how fluid his movement was, like a cat in human form.  It was no wonder he was a natural on the runway.  

His footsteps were light on the roof, and after a few minutes, he returned with a tattered black backpack.  He set it down between his bare feet and unzipped it.  "This is what I had with me when I ran away.  He pulled out a jacket, some rope, a notepad, and a plastic bag holding a wallet, and a pile of euro notes.  "The first thing I did was withdraw some money.  It was going to be my safety net in case it got too cold at night and I needed a place to stay, or if I just couldn't hack it as a cat."

It looked like a lot of money, actually.  "Did you need to use it much?"

He shook his head.  "I'm a pretty good hunter… uh… maybe we won't talk about what I ate, though.  Not sure you'd appreciate it."  His pale cheeks flushed.

"Are you telling me you ate like a cat?" she asked, feigning shock.  "How… biologically appropriate of you."

He laughed.  "Okay.  Thanks.  But I promise not to gift you with any mice or birds."

"Oh thank  **god** ."  She didn't even try to hide her relief.  "If you must get me something, the flowers or the breakfast are just fine."

He grinned.  "Noted."

She yawned, realizing she felt drained all of a sudden.

"You need to rest," he said, frowning a little.  "I don't think you should be up in the loft until you can get up and down by yourself."  He pulled at his lip with two fingers.  "Is it okay if I bring down your mattress?"

She shrugged.  "If you want."  She had to agree that the ladder was a bad idea right now.

After a few minutes he'd relocated her entire bed to the floor.  He pulled back the blankets and patted the mattress.  "Come on my Marinette.  It's nap time."

"What are you going to do?" she asked, wincing as she lay down."

"I'm going to watch over you," he promised.  "Do you prefer a cat guard or a person."

"Whichever you want," she insisted.

"And is it still okay if I'm on your bed?" he asked uncertainly.

"You're my familiar and a cat.," she pointed out, smiling as she closed her eyes.  "You can go wherever you want."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May, day 26 - the stray
> 
> Wasn't originally going to show this scene, but it fit the prompt and I wanted to write it. Now to go fiure out today's prompt...


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Chat deal with the fallout of their public heroic events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's late, and wow it got long. There will be one more chapter, ideally coming out June 1.

Marinette woke achey and warm to the hushed whispers of her mother and her familiar.

"But… what if…" Chat Noir was upset, bordering on terrified.  It was probably what woke her up.

"You're not going anywhere," her mother replied firmly.  "Tom consulted a lawyer friend of ours.  She's agreed to act on our behalf, even if it's just for a formal agreement."

"He'll target your business," he warned.  "I've… he's done it before.  For lesser… offenses."

"Which is why we'll go for a legal contract to prevent the ugliness," her mother said, in her most soothing voice.  But it wasn't enough.

"Kih-ee," Marinette mumbled, reaching behind herself, only to feel cold blankets.  "Chat?"  She blinked, her eyes feeling gooey and stuck.  She sat up, gasping at the sharp pain in her chest.  "Ah!"  There were suddenly warm bodies on either side of her, gently holding her up.

"Didn't the nurse explain how you should get up?" her mother asked, a hint of reprimand in her voice.  "Roll to the side and push yourself up with your arms."

Marinette nodded, wincing and trying to force her gasps to be shallow.  "Yeah," she mumbled.  "She said something about Cleopatra rising from her barge," she huffed.  "Like we have any idea how Cleopatra actually got up."

Chat Noir giggled.  "She was talking about golden age film Cleopatra, my Marinette."  He rubbed her cheek with his.  "But next time let me help."

She nodded, then focused carefully on him.  He was still worried about something.  She looked at her mother.  "Did dad really talk to a lawyer?"  It didn't surprise her that he had a plan, but she  **was** surprised how fast he moved.

Her mother nodded.  "Yes.  And it's a good thing, too."  She sighed.  "Mr. Agreste has been alerted to the fact that his son saved Ladybug.  That's what they're calling you, because the film footage didn't show enough to identify you, and we haven't announced it."  She rubbed Marinette's back.  "He's pestering the police to release your information to him so he and his own private investigator can personally question you."

Marinette gawked at her mother.  The demand was both frightening and wildly inappropriate.

"As both cases are under police jurisdiction, and you're a minor, they aren't willing to cooperate, but as Chat said, he can be quite difficult."  She gave Marinette one last squeeze before standing up.  "The detective you talked to after the incident with Chloe will be over in about half an hour.  We've agreed to talk with him, because the police should probably know what's going on, and he seems sympathetic to you."

Marinette leaned against Chat a little more.  "Are you okay?"

He nodded, a jerky snap of his head.

"I need you two to think about how you want to handle this," her mother explained.  "If Chat is going to want to go out in human form, we don't want to restrict that, but we should probably be prepared to release a statement."

Feeling foggy and stupid, Marinette stared at her mother.  "Why?"

"I think it'll be easy for people to figure out you're Ladybug if they see us together," Chat said quietly.  "And it probably won't be long before someone points out that I'm your familiar.  And based on the previous video, it'll be obvious I'm a shapeshifter."  He sighed.  "Would it be easier if I stay in cat form outside of home?" he asked.  "I was prepared to live out my life as a cat anyway, so…"

"No!" Marinettte cried.  

At the very same time her mother let out a sharp, " **Absolutely not!** "  Smiling proudly at Marinette, she continued.  "We aren't going to restrict you, Chat.  Since you're Marinette's familiar, she would be within her rights, by ancient arcane law, to do so.  But  **we** are modern witches, and you are not  **just** her familiar or  **just** a cat.  You deserve to keep your rights as a human, too."  Her hand reached out and hovered over his head for a moment.

Chat's eyes met Marinette's briefly, as if confirming he had permission, before pushing his crown against her mother's palm.

"Oh you sweet boy," she said, sadness creeping into her voice.  "You deserve a good life, an education of your choosing, and friends.  You may be bound to our daughter for the rest of your lives, but that isn't all there is to you.  Not by a long shot."  Her hand ran over his head.  "And we are prepared to do what we need to, to help you get that life."

Marinette felt a vibration from him and she grinned.  "You're purring!"

Blushing, he ducked his head.  "I've been cat so much lately, that part of my nature is… a little more at the fore than normal."

"Well I like it," Marinette insisted.

Her mother took a step back.  "You two have a talk.  Decide what you want to volunteer to the detective, and what you want to withhold.  I don't think you should lie, but I also don't expect he'll push too much if there's anything you don't want to talk about."  She headed for the stairs.  "I'll send Callie up when he gets here."

* * *

Marinette walked slowly down the stairs, leaning heavily on Chat's arm.  She kept her head up, watching the detective as she moved into the family living room.  His eyes were wide, and she could practically see smoke coming out of his ears as he worked through the logistics.  She waited to greet him until she sat down, so she wouldn't get quite so out of breath.

"Good evening, Detective Raincomprix," she said, offering up a smile.  She and Chat had come to what she felt was a pretty good plan.  "I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

"How badly were you hurt yesterday?" he asked in surprise.

Chat whimpered and tucked his head under her chin.

She ran her fingers into his hair and whispered to him.  "It's okay, Kitty.  You saved me, remember?"  She looked back up.  "I nearly drowned.  I understand the CPR saved my life, but left me more sore."

Detective Raincomprix nodded.  "I saw the video."  He cleared his throat.  "It wasn't comfortable to watch."

Marinette nodded.  "I haven't seen it yet, but that's what I've heard."  She nudged Chat out from her neck.  "I understand you have questions, and we want to help you with that, but the situation is complicated."

The detective nodded.  "I see that."  He sighed and held out his hand to Chat.  "We haven't met.  I'm Detective Raincomprix.  I've worked with Marinette before and…"  He jerked his hand back before Chat could respond.  "Oh hell."

"Does that mean you see his collar or that you realize what he is?" Marinette asked quietly.

"Both."  He rubbed at his face.  "Adrien Agreste is your familiar."

Marinette wrapped her arm around Chat's when he tensed at the name.  

"And last time I saw him, he was a cat," the detective continued.  "So either he was abducted and ensorceled, or he's a shapeshifter and he ran away from home."

Marinette nodded.  "Care to guess which of those is the correct story?"

He let out another sigh and slouched a bit.  "You ran away from your cold harsh father, didn't you?"

Chat nodded.

"When she brought you home to become her familiar, did you know what she had in mind, what it meant for you?" he asked.

Chat nodded again.  "I… I asked her to take me home.  I wanted to be her familiar."

"Did you really know what it meant, what you were signing up for?" the detective asked.

Chat nodded.  "We make each other stronger.  And it's permanent."

"And did you tell her what you were?" the detective asked, both eyebrows raised..

Chat shook his head.  "I'd planned to stay a cat.  She wasn't supposed to find out."  He looked down at his bare toes.  "But there was that demon, and…"  He faltered.  "You know."

Detective Raincomprix pulled out a small tablet and started swiping his fingers across it.  "All right.  I can close your missing person case, Adrien…"  He stopped when Chat flinched again.

"Could you please call him Chat or Chat Noir?" Marinette asked.  "I think, even Plagg?"  She glanced at him, waiting for his response.

_ Yes. _

She nodded.  "Chat, Chat Noir, or Plagg, please.  He doesn't want the other name anymore."  She was very careful not to use it. herself.

Detective Raincomprix let out a harsh breath, something in his face horrified.

"Are you okay, detective?" Marinette asked, hoping they weren't getting a peek at his prejudice.

He held up one finger as if requesting a moment to compose himself.  "I have a daughter your age, I believe she's in your class, Marientte."

Marinette nodded.

"I can't imagine what I'd have to do to make her not want her name anymore."  He blinked a little more rapidly than normal, then addressed Chat again.  "In case you aren't ready to talk about it, I'm not going to ask.  But if there's anything you need to tell me, my door is always open.  Marinette has my card."

Marinette smiled at him.  "Thank you, detective."

He nodded sharply.  "Now, Plagg, then, I can let your... father... know you've been found, that you're safe, but that I can't release your location at this time.  You are probably going to need to meet with him at some point to get him to back off."

"My parents are working on that."  Marinette looked over to the kitchen, where her mother was watching the proceedings while staying out of it.

* * *

The Dupain-Cheng lawyer was able to put off Gabriel Agreste another four days.  Which meant Marinette was still quite sore, but not so exhausted, and Chat had shoes that fit.  They met at the lawyer's office, because Chat had advised against letting his father pick the location.

Mr Agreste breezed into the conference room at exactly three.  He stood near the doorway, surveying the room and its occupants in a way that made Marinette feel like he was assessing their worth.  "Come Adrien," he called.  "It's time to go home."  There was no warmth in his voice, no relief at the sight of his son healthy and well.

"No," Chat said calmly.  "I'm not going with you."

Mr. Agreste looked surprised.  "Come, Adrien," he repeated, and this time Marinette felt his magic looking for something.

"I'm sorry sir.  Your bindings aren't on him anymore," Marinette said.  "Your magic won't be able to stick."  She felt him drop his seeking.  

Mr. Agreste looked at her in surprise.  He'd been her idol once, the designer she wanted to be like.  Now she wanted to be nothing like him.

"I'm sure you're aware that it's unethical to tamper with another witch's spells," he said tightly, his expression going to her parents as if expecting them to chastise her.

Marinette nodded.  "As I'm sure you're aware of the  **modern** ethical concerns with binding sentient beings contrary to their nature."  She wasn't even supposed to be talking.  Her parents and the lawyer could take hold of the conversation any time now.  His eyes narrowed, but she spoke again before he could.  "Either way,  **I** didn't touch your spells.  None of us did.  They were in tatters when I found Chat Noir."

"Chat…"  He gave his son a less cursory look this time.  "You let her find you in  **cat** form?  Are you a  **complete** idiot?  What did you think I was trying to protect you from?"

She felt Chat's hand wrap around hers under the table.  "I picked her," he said.  "Not the other way around."

"And you've let her make a  **pet** of you, by the look of it," he snapped gesturing toward Chat Noir's neck.

"Have you got a familiar, Mr. Agreste?" Marinette asked, already knowing the answer.  "Chat is no mere pet, and he's not a passing fancy.  He chose to become my familiar, free of bindings or drugs or lies."

"As you know, Mr. Agreste," the lawyer, Mrs Le Chien finally broke in, "a familiar contract is unbreakable, there is no recourse at this point.  By arcane canon law, which has been consistently upheld by civil law, Adrien Agreste now belongs to Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"I insist that both children be relocated to my family home, so Adrien can continue being raised according to his social class," Gabriel said firmly.  "This does not interfere with their… partnership."  He made the word sound like something disgusting.  "And it takes into consideration that he has not been reared to the simple lifestyle of a baker's family."  While his eyes darted, he didn't quite look at Marinette's parents.

"I was a stray cat for five months," Chat pointed out.  "I assure you, the simple life of fresh bread and a warm bed is superior to hunting vermin and sleeping in cramped spaces behind heating ducts."  He shrugged.  "Though to be fair, rat isn't half bad."  This statement silenced the room.  Marinette saw her father desperately trying to hold in a laugh while Mr. Agreste looked positively revolted.

"We will continue to live with my parents," Marinette stated firmly.  "I appreciate your concern for my familiar's comfort, and while it's true he will not have some of the material benefits he had under your roof, he has been thriving without them.  He will enroll in school when I return to classes, so we are seeing to his education as well."

"He is a supermodel and the heir of a wealthy family," Mr. Agreste snapped.  "Has it ever occurred to you that he has been the target of abductions for ransom in the past?"

Marinette smiled at him.  "I'm capable of containing and banishing seventh circle demons with about thirty seconds warning and no backup.  Chat and I have acquired full telepathic abilities with each other.  And a witch can always find her familiar."

"The reverse is also true," Chat said quietly.

"He is safer now than he has ever been," Marinette said, thinking of the cuffs that used to keep him from changing.

"Have we heard all of your concerns regarding this issue?" Mrs Le Chien asked.

Mr. Agreste collected himself and finally addressed her parents.  "Are you prepared to care for my son, should your little business fail?"

"Is that a threat?" her mother asked quietly.

"Of course not," Mr. Agreste said, not even trying to sound sincere.  "I just want to be sure you are prepared for all contingencies."

"Our profits may not compare to yours, but our business is very successful," her father assured him.

Marinette could feel Chat getting more anxious the longer this dragged on.  "If I may?"

"The adults are talking now, child," Mr. Agreste snapped.  "Kindly hold your tongue."

Before anyone could react, Mrs Le Chien held up a hand, commanding attention with a hint of a compulsion spell.  "Mr. Agreste, I will remind you that by Arcane Canon law, Marinette has reached the age of majority.  And as all of this discussion concerns her familiar, her voice is relevant."  She sighed, setting her hand down and dropping the spell.  "If we can't come to an agreement here, we will have to involve a judge and mediation.  France has never had a legal case of this nature, and I expect it would be seen as extremely newsworthy."  She gave Mr. Agreste a long stare.  "Are you willing to endure the media circus?"

"Chat wants to keep this civil, and I'm happy to go along with that," Marinette said, feeling a little calmer now.  "If we work together, and do it now, we can develop a cover story that works for all of us."

Mr. Agreste continued to scowl at Marinette, but it felt less hostile somehow.

"You haven't enjoyed having him at home with you," she said gently.  "This fixes that completely."

"His condition will get out," Mr. Agreste said flatly.

Marinette nodded, though she hated it being referred to as though it were an illness that needed treatment.  "At this point, it's going to get out anyway.  Why not do it on your terms instead of as some reporter's scoop?"

"And I suppose you have a suggestion, Miss Dupain-Cheng," Mr. Agreste said.

"I know something of the fashion industry, and a little about the news," she said, mentally thanking both Alya and Nadja Chamack for sharing their interests with her.  "I think it would be in your best interest to appear supportive of shapeshifters.  You married one, and your son is another, after all.  You could say you kept it quiet because of the bias against their people."

"You want me to use my business as a platform for shapeshifter support?" he asked, incredulous.

"It would be more bold than Vianne's floral and striped collection from this past spring," she assured him.

" **That** was a travesty," Mr. Agreste muttered.

"It was quite hideous," Marinette agreed.  "But it was bold.  And it launched her small label into the ring with the big houses."  She didn't love this next part, but she had to agree it worked well into the narrative she was spinning.  "Chat is okay having an identity crisis.  If that explains why he vanished and how he ended up with me.  With no shifters to get guidance from, he went to explore is cat side."

Mr. Agreste sighed, looking sullen.  "You've stolen my best model," he said, most of the fight gone from his voice.  "Do you have a solution for that?"

"I would be willing to continue modeling for you," Chat said quietly.  He was planning something, but she couldn't tell what.

"You would?" Mr. Agreste asked, suspicious.

"But no more than one shoot per week," Chat added.  "I'm going to be going to school, so I'll need to be able to study."

"What about runway?" Mr. Agreste wanted to know.  "Fashion week is critical to the business, and it's not a one day affair.

Chat nodded.  "I'll walk runway for you under one condition."

"If it's about your salary, I'd expect to keep it the same for another year, then it should take a steep jump up, if you keep in shape."

Chat shook his head.  "For every design of yours I show, I get to wear one of my Marinette's."

"What?" Marinette demanded looking at him.  "What are you doing?"

"Will I have any choice in the designs?" Mr. Agreste asked, ignoring her outburst.

Chat nodded.  "She'll show you what she's working on, and you'll pick from those."

"Done."  Mr. Agreste got to his feet.  "Please send me the final draft of our agreement by tomorrow afternoon.  I would like to make a statement to the public in the next few days, and that should be signed first."  He nodded to Marinette's parents.  "Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, my assistant will contact you with Adrien's medical records and information should you need to contact me."

While her parents smiled and shook hands with Mrs Le Chien, Marinette turned to her kitty.  "Why would you  **do** that?"

There was a flash of green and he was a black cat again.  He hopped into her lap. _  You help me.  This way I could help you too. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marichat May - day 29, The Argument


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little scenes of Marinette and Chat in the days and months after settling things with Gabriel Agreste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Marichat May bonus denouement chapter, where I tie up all the loose ends necessary to make it feel complete.

The day after meeting with Gabriel, Marinette texted Nino and Alya asking them to bring her homework, and plan to stay for dinner.  There was something important they needed to know, and she wanted them to hear it from her.

"Nette!" Nino called as he came up the stairs.  "We're coming up.  You'd better be decent."

"Don't yell," Alya admonished.  "She's been sick. She could be sleeping."

Marinette was stretched out on her chaise with Chat Noir when they came in.  She'd talked to him about how he wanted to handle this.  She knew her friends would like him, and he needed friends.  But he wanted to work up to it a little.

"I'd pounce on you, but you mama said you're really sore," Alya said.  "What happened?"

"Oh, it's so good to see you two," Marinette said, keeping one hand running over Chat's back.  "Have a seat."

"You okay?" Nino asked, dragging over one of the desk chairs.  

Marinette nodded.  "Did you guys hear about that seventh circle demon that went on a rampage last week?"

"You were one of the victims?"  Alya looked horrified, her face paler than her friends had ever seen.  "Oh, Mari…"

"I'm okay.  Honest."  She reached under the blanket and pulled out some folded red fabric.  "But, um… you've seen the video, right?"

When they both nodded, she flicked out the fabric, unfolding and twisting it so they could see the black spotted pattern.  Her mother had washed the capelette, returning it a few days ago.

"Holy shit," Nino whispered.  "You…  you're…"

"You're Ladybug!" Alya squealed.  "Mari, you're freaking amazing."

"You almost died."  Nino sounded like he felt queasy.

"I promise, I'm fine."  Marinette reached out to pat his knee.  "But… um.   Yeah.  I guess my magic is pretty strong now."

"Mari, most witches never get strong enough to take on seventh circle demons without help," Nino pointed out, his eyes bulging, and almost alarmed.

She shrugged.  "I'm still me."

"And you're still our girl," Alya reassured her.

"But I did almost drown, and CPR is… it's hard on the ribs."

"So that's why we can't squeeze you," Alya said in realization.  "Your mama warned us, but she was pretty vague."

Marinette nodded.

"Did you hear about who they think rescued you?" Alya asked.  "It's all speculation right now, but there's some pretty good photo evidence that you were rescued by **Adrien Agreste**."

"Yeah…"  Marinette bit her lip and looked at Chat.   _Ready?_

_Ready,_ he confirmed, moving to a clear spot on the chaise..

"I was, only he doesn't like being called that anymore."  She moved to sit up a bit more, wincing a little.  "We're going to show you something, and tell you something that you can't tell anyone yet.  It'll be public knowledge before I come back to school, but I want you to know now."

Her friends nodded, quietly promising the safety of her secret.

"Chat's not just an ordinary cat," Marinette said.

"That's not a surprise," Nino said.  "Even for a familiar he's…"  He faltered.  "Is he?"

"Okay, Kitty," Marinette said, encouraging.

The green light of his transformation flashed, and suddenly a blond, green-eyed boy sat next to her.

"Chat is a shapeshifter," Marinette said.  "He ran away from home because his father is… neither a shapeshifter nor at all understanding of shapeshifters."  She took a slow, careful breath.  "I'd kind of like to send him where I sent that demon, actually," she mumbled.

Chat giggled.

"He planned to stay a cat for the rest of his life, but after seeing me looking for a familiar, he decided he should try that instead."

"I'm the best familiar ever," he said quietly.

" **Obviously**."  Marinette rolled her eyes.  Getting to know him outside his cat form made her fully realize how much he craved affection.  Given where he'd come from, it was no wonder he felt compelled to strive so hard for any small praise or kindness.

Alya was staring at Chat, her mouth slightly open.  "Mari, your familiar is a supermodel."

"I'd like it if you two could be friends with him, too," Marinette said.  "I don't know how either of you feel about a boy who is also a literal cat, but… he could use some good friends, and you two **are** the best there are."

Nino gave her a sweet smile.  "Like you had to ask, Nette."  He held out a fist to Chat.  "Pleased to properly make your acquaintance, cat-dude."

Chat stared at the fist a moment, until Marinette prompted him.   _It's allowed, if you want to do it._

Chat beamed at Nino and bumped his fist.

"What do you want to be called?" Alya asked.

"You two can call me Chat."  He glanced at Nino, smiling happily.  "Cat-dude is good, too."

"We're going with Plagg Noir as his new official name, it's what he'll use at school, and… he's going to continue to model under the new name, though we aren't legally changing it right now.  His...father will be releasing a statement tomorrow.  But my family and a few special people, like you, can call him Chat."

* * *

"It's just down the street here," Marinette said, catching Chat's hand and tugging him down the sidewalk.

"It looks smaller."  He grinned at her.  "But that happens."

She'd been so pleased with how much more relaxed and happy he was, now that he was no longer hiding in cat form.  He still took cat shape a lot, especially at night and on the subway, but that was fine.  He **was** a cat after all.  "Is this it?" she asked, pointing to Master Fu's sign, in both French and Chinese.

He nodded and held a little tighter to her as they walked up the few steps.  He hesitated at the door, and Marinette reached out to pull it open.

"Master Fu?" she called.  "Are you in?"

"Ah ha," the older man's voice carried from a side room, where he did acupuncture.  "Good morning Marinette."  He came out of the room and bowed, greeting them.  "Or should I say Ladybug and Plagg?"  He chuckled, patting his hands together.. "I've never been visited by superheroes before."

She didn't ask how he knew she was Ladybug.  That wasn't scheduled to be released for another two days, when she would be interviewed by Nadja Chamack.  But right now, that wasn't the important thing.  "So you recognize Plagg, then?" she asked, feeling Chat's shyness.

Master Fu nodded, smiling broadly.  "When you stopped coming by, I'd hoped you'd found yourself a nice home."

"I did," Chat agreed.

"I wanted to thank you for taking care of him before I found him," Marinette said.

Master Fu waved her off.  "Nonsense.  It was only once in a while, and it was nice to have someone to talk to."  He looked at Chat.  "You were such a good listener.  I could tell you were always paying attention, even when I wandered off on a tangent.  Or when I switched over to  Mandarin."

"How did you know I was a shapeshifter?" Chat asked.  "I mean, you seemed to know, and you're not surprised."

The elderly Chinese man laughed.  "You are a **very** convincing cat, young Plagg.  But I'm extremely familiar with shapeshifters, being one myself."

"You can turn into a cat, too?" Chat asked in surprise.

"Turtle, actually," he said, shrugging.  "Not quite as useful in Paris as a cat, but there's a reason I spend the winters somewhere at the beach."  He winked.  "I also knew your mother, so that helped.  You're obviously her kitten."

"Oh," Marinette whispered, feeling Chat's mind shut down in shock.  "I thought this would be a short visit, because I just wanted to thank you, but… do you have time to talk?"

"Let me put some tea on."  He gestured to one of the smaller rooms.  "Have a seat.  See if you can help Plagg out of his mental labyrinth, and I'll be right in."

* * *

 "You really don't have to do this," Marinette insisted.

Her father hugged her from the side.  "Of **course** I do."

"We're perfectly capable of walking a few short blocks without something going wrong," she said.  "I mean, we've been taking regular walks and haven't gotten attacked by anything in **weeks**."

"That's not why I'm here," he said, ushering her and Chat across the street the moment the light changed.  

"You already registered him," she pointed out.

"I did," he confirmed, smiling happily.

"And the media know we're underage and off-limits," she said.  She glanced at Chat as he wrapped her hand in his.  She wasn't sure if he'd noticed, but some of the kids standing around outside the building were starting to stare.

"Yes.  And detective Raincomprix has asked that we immediately report violations on that front," her father said firmly.  "Up by the sign if you please."  

"Oh."  It suddenly made sense.  It was Chat's first day of school.  Her parents were huge on photos of milestones.

_What are we doing?_ Chat wanted to know.

"Papa wants a photo for your album."  She put her hands on his shoulders to move him into position.  "There."  She stepped back.

"Perfect," he said, snapping a photo with a digital camera that was lost in his huge hand.  "Now you go next to him, Cupcake.  It's a big day for you, too."  When he was finished he waved and promised to see them at lunch.

"Hey, Nette, Chat Noir!"  Nino jogged up the sidewalk, Trixx bounding beside him.  "Glad you could make it, and in dude form, too."  He held out a fist to Chat.

Chat smiled and fist-bumped his new friend.

"Not that I mind you being a cat, when you want to be, but this," he gestured to the tall blond boy.  "This means you guys have made progress with the things that needed to be done.  And Nette's finally well enough to come to school, which is also awesome."  He leaned down so Trixx could climb up to her perch on his arm.

"Thank you for all your help, Nino," Marinette gave him a quick hug.

"I'm always happy to help my best friends."  He let go of Marinette and looked at Chat.  "That includes you, cat-dude.  You need anything and Nette's not able to help, I'm your guy."

Chat's cheeks turned pink, and he smiled, something more beautiful that what tended to end up in his pro model pictures.  "Thanks Nino."

"Anyway, as you may have noticed, there's an empty seat right next to me in class," Nino pointed out.  "It's got your name on it."

"I'd like that," Chat said.  He looked at Marinette.  "Is it okay…"

She nodded before he could finish his sentence.  "You don't have to ask me."

He shrugged.  "I don't want to overstep… I hate being yelled at."

Nino scowled.  "Not cool."

Marinette reached up and ran her fingers into his hair just above his ear.  "If I let you know something's not okay, I'll try not to yell."

"Nette only tends to yell when it's a safety issue," Nino pointed out.  He pulled out his cell phone.  "Oh, hey.  Alya's inside.  Let's not keep her waiting."

More kids turned to gawk as they walked through the halls, and Chat took her hand again.   _You okay?_

_Just nervous_ , she sent back.   _I want this to go well.  I want people to see how wonderful you are and accept you for who you are._

_But you think they won't?_ he asked.

She shrugged.  "Some will, some won't."

Nino glanced at her.  "Talking behind my back?" he teased.  He'd thought it was hilarious that Marinette had trouble keeping her conversations with Chat either in her head or out where everyone could hear them.

She felt her cheeks go pink.  "Sorry.  Just freaking out a little, is all."

"No need to worry," Nino assured her.  "Al and I have your back, and seriously, now that we all know you're Ladybug, I don't think anyone's going to want to risk pissing you off by being rude to Chat."

The morning went smoothly and swiftly, with Mrs. Bustier welcoming their new student, Plagg, to the class, with a side comment to the rest of the students to look past any biases they may have and be welcoming.

"Are you guys coming over for lunch?" Marinette asked as she gathered up her things.

"Wouldn't miss it," Alya promised.

"Excuse me, Marinette?" Sabrina had quietly come to stand by Chat's desk.

"Um… yes?"

"I wanted to thank you for what you did for Chloe," she said meekly.  "She has never been very nice to you, and you could have responded so much harsher."  She fiddled with a pale yellow envelope.  "Thanks to you, she's finally getting the help she needs to be the person I know she can be, before it's too late."  

Marinette nodded, not really sure how to respond.

Sabrina looked at Chat.  "She's sorry about what she did to you, Plagg.  She… she said it was a wake-up call, especially now that she knows who you are.  And now that she knows what Marinette could have done to her, she's… grateful for your restraint."  She held out the envelope to Marinette.  "She asked me to get this to you."

Marinette stared down at the envelope, slowly reaching for it.  "You've been visiting her?"

Sabrina nodded.  "Every other day.  She's already come so far, but she'll be… um… out for the rest of the school year, and probably the start of next year."

The paper bore no hint of magic, so Marinette took it.  "You're a good friend, Sabrina."

Sabrina finally smiled, looking relieved.  "I'll see you all after lunch."  She waved and turned to head out.

Marinette waited until after she'd eaten to open the envelope.  It was a flowery letter of apology.  It was strange to be able to tell this was from her long-time bully, because the language was so very Chloe, but it was gracious and grateful without a single snide or backhanded remark.  Near the end, she noted that she'd known Plagg when they were little, and that she hoped to one day be worthy of his friendship again.

* * *

 Marinette carefully pinned the white pin-striped pants to allow a full break.  Niklas, a tailor for Gabriel , stood behind her, ready to offer recommendations, as he had with the last fitting, but for now, he was silent.  Once the Gabriel staff were informed that Chat was bound as a familiar, those with magic excused themselves from touching him.  It was a rule they were unwilling to bend on.  The non-magic staff quickly followed suit given the cultural sensitivity of the issue.  So as it turned out, Marinette helped with the pinning and touching part of any tailoring of Gabriel brand items Chat wore.

"That's deftly done, Miss Marinette," Niklas said when she stood up and gestured for Chat to turn around.

"Thank you."  Until she was sure the hem was right, she didn't look away.  "It's a relief to know I've been doing it right."

"That you have."  He nodded to Chat.  "Go ahead and doff those, my lad.  I'll get them finished while you get on with whatever else you need to do."

As she'd gotten quite used to him doing at photoshoots and other modeling activities, Chat stripped then and there, handing the clothes to Marinette to pass to the tailor.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng?"  Though Mr. Agreste's voice wasn't raised, she could hear it as if it were.  Whether she liked it or not, he did have a commanding presence.  She looked up to see him crossing the room.  "I wish to see how your final design has turned out before I clear it for the catwalk."

It was a formality, one they'd been through once already.  "Do you want to go get it, Kitty?" she asked, touching his bare shoulder.  She'd gotten used to this, and made sure to comfort and shield him as much as possible when his father was around.  When she turned back to Mr. Agreste, he was closely watching Chat, his eyes narrowed slightly.  "Is there something wrong?"

Mr. Agreste redirected his attention down at her.  "He's had a growth spurt."

Marinette nodded.  "He's nearly seventeen.  That happens.  I sent Niklas his new measurements last week."

Chat brought over the garment bag, clearly avoiding his father's eyes.

Laying the bag on her workspace, Marinette swiftly opened it, trying to get this over with as quickly as she could.

"What do you weigh in at these days, Adrien?" Mr. Agreste asked.

"Don't be rude, Mr. Agreste," Marinette said quietly, careful to keep her voice below the general noise of the room.  She detested the man, but she didn't feel there was any benefit to antagonizing him on purpose.  "You know he's not using that name."

"I apologize," he said smoothly, not sounding remotely sorry.  "Plagg, then.  What's your current weight."

Chat shrugged.  "I've no idea."

"He's been growing up, sir, not out," Marinette pointed out.  "As you can see, he's all lean muscle."  She waved at his body.   _Go ahead and put it on.  The sooner he sees it, the sooner we can go._

Chat had the black leather pants on and was about to pull on a lime green v-neck shirt, when Mr. Agreste reached forward, but didn't touch his son.  "Stop a moment," he said, his voice clinical and emotionless.  "Mind your posture, please."  Chat straightened up.  Mr. Agreste tapped one finger against his lips.  "You **are** thriving, aren't you."  It wasn't a question.  "At this rate, you'll be able to start picking up adult swimwear and topless jobs in three months, easily."  

"We'll talk about it and get back to you on it," Marinette said, feeling that Chat had gone into a flurry of confusion over what was probably the closest he'd gotten to praise from his father ever.

Mr. Agreste nodded to Marinette.  "I'll e-mail you the contract so you have the full information.  It will involve a decent bump in pay."

Marinette nodded.  "We'd appreciate that information."  As long as Chat wanted to model, she'd let him, but it would be on his terms, though in his father's case, she was happy to make it appear as though they were her terms.   _Finish up, Kitty._

Chat pulled on the soft green shirt that clung and draped perfectly.  She loved this fabric for that very reason.  Finally, he pulled on the jacket, trim fitting black leather that she had pieced together so the seams added to the design.

"Short walk, please," Mr. Agreste said.

Chat walked across the room, his feline grace making him fluid and smooth.  He performed his perfect turns, holding the jacket open, then sweeping it off to toss over his shoulder for the walk back.

"Very good, Miss Dupain-Cheng," Mr. Agreste said.  "We will see both of you here tomorrow evening at six."

Marinette nodded, livid that he could so easily compliment her without ever mentioning Chat's contribution.  She'd half-expected Mr. Agreste to reject the completed leather outfit, just to test Chat's limits, but perhaps he realized that would lose him a talented model for the show.  Once she had the outfit tucked into the garment bag, and back on the rack with the others, she took Chat's hand and led him out of the building.

"How long do you want to model for Gabriel?" she asked, not letting go as they headed for the train station.

He shrugged.  "I guess, until you get enough exposure that you don't need him anymore."  He smiled.  "Then I'd like to mostly work for Ladybug."

"You know you don't have to model for me, right?" she asked.  They'd talked about it before, but she wanted to reiterate her point.  "You're really good at it, and I appreciate it so much.  But I want you doing something you enjoy."

He reached out and booped her nose with one finger.  "I like modeling when I have a choice about it, but it's a limited term field, and I may as well take advantage while I'm in favor.  I've been thinking of studying business for later.  I like the math and the demographic studies parts."

He'd been brilliant with math, though to be fair, she had yet to see a subject he floundered in.  "Business, huh?"

He nodded.  "Yeah.  That way you can just focus on the design side of Ladybug, and I can take care of the business side."

Her steps faltered and she looked up at him, her eyes stinging.  "You don't have to do that.  You know that, right?"

He nodded, radiating contentment.  "But I want to.  And I pawmise I'll let you know if I change my mind."

She giggled.  "You've been hanging out with papa too much."

He shook his head.  "The just right amount," he corrected, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience, and for sticking with me while I threw this out at you for Marichat May. I'm sorry this took about a week longer than intended to get posted. I needed to catch up on reading everyone else's Marichat May pieces. I also had one last hurrah herding around young Chinese dancers at yet another festival (it was fun, and they were awesome), one last Girl Scout party, and the prep for my son to wrap up his elementary school career.
> 
> I have more ML fics planned, so I hope those of you who enjoyed this are willing to take a look at those when they come out.

**Author's Note:**

> We'll see how many of these I'm able to squeeze in.


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